


Burning Ice & Freezing Fire

by AsgardsLight



Category: LazyTown, Sportarobbie - Fandom
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Magic, Recovery, Sickness, Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-31
Updated: 2018-08-01
Packaged: 2019-06-19 12:02:57
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 167
Words: 177,882
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15509457
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AsgardsLight/pseuds/AsgardsLight
Summary: When Sportacus receives a letter from Robbie in which he asks for the hero’s help this turns out to be just the first of many uncharacteristic appearing behaviors of the town villain and other strange happenings connected to it.And it’s only the beginning of an adventure for the unlikely pair during which both of them have to cross lines that appeared impossible before.And all that can help them do so seems to be accepting their true feelings for each other…and their own true natures…(This is the complete story I originally published in parts on Tumblr.)





	1. Prolog!

_Legends says that if two opposites collide there will be chaos._

_There will be night as bright as day and day as dark as night._

_There will be good doing evil and evil doing good._

_There will be lovers that hate and haters that love._

_There will be Burning Ice and Freezing Fire…_


	2. Love?!

Love is a word Robbie doesn't really understand. Sure, he knows what it means and who's supposed to feel it and why. But it just appears so illogical and…fake to him… He can't remember ever hearing someone addressing these words at him. His parents? Nope. Definitely not! He laughs at the mere thought of this possibility. Anybody else? Negative.  
No. Love has to either be a miracle, he has never experienced before or a terrible lie.  
But…if it's the latter…then what is this strange feeling in his stomach that comes up each time Sportaflop saves him, holds him in his ridiculous strong arms or does even so much as smile at him with this nonsense-softness? He's not always hungry then…and absolutely not sick. So… What is it?  
With a tortured sigh Robbie gets up from his chair and grabs the letter he wrote exactly three days ago and refused to send until now. He's been trying to get behind this secret for months already and finally came to the conclusion that there's only _one_ person who might be able to help him find answers to his questions somehow. But since this realization burns almost worse than the empty feeling in his stomach due to his lack of food, because he's been busy thinking about his confusion in this subject and completely forgot to eat, he needed a few more days to actually force himself to send it…

What he did this just one minute ago.

And now, he is about to turn around and leave the place next to the mailbox when there's suddenly a hand on his shoulder. He winces and spins around only to look into a pair of bright blue eyes and feel this tickle in his stomach again.

"Hi, Robbie!" Sportacus gives him a bright smile.

That was a bad idea. He knew it.

"Er… Hi…Sportaflop… What…are you doing here?…"

The hero laughs "Well, you sent me a letter that you wanted to talk to me, didn't you?!"  
"Uhm… Yes. No… I… Aren't you…busy or something?…"  
"No."  
"No…need for pushups or other nasty exercises or…"  
"Robbie," interrupts Sportacus gently, his smile and eyes soft now "What is wrong? We haven't seen you in days out here and you don't look happy or healthy at all. Have you even slept at all?"  
"Uhm… No… I've…been busy…" he shifts uneasily.

Bad idea. Really bad idea…

"That's not good. And you know that," the hero gives him a stern look before titling his head "So. How can I help that you finally get some rest?"  
"…You…really wanna help…me?…"  
"Well, of course!" Sportacus gives him a light, gentle pat on the shoulder "I always help everybody if I can! And you are aware of that, otherwise you would not have sent me that letter, asking for me to come down here."  
"Right…" Robbie takes a deep breath in "Actually…it's…rather simple… Just answer me a few questions, will you?"  
"Sure. What kind of questions?"  
"About…the existence of…love…" he lowers his eyes, not wanting to meet the hero's at this moment. A pause. Then the hand is back, this time on his shoulder, and gently nudges him forward. Sportacus' voice is uncharacteristic serious "I guess, we should sit down for this. It might take a while to answer that kind of questions properly…"


	3. Acceptance?!

This really was a bad idea.

Robbie is sure about that now, when he and Sportacus sit down on a bench near the woods. He glances at the hero before he snaps without the usual edge in his voice "Why are you insisting on sitting down? You're usually the _last_ person who sits down!"  
"Because this is no question to discuss standing near a mailbox," Sportacus looks at him openly and with an encouraging smile "So. What exactly would you like to know about love?"  
"This… This is ridiculous!" Robbie attempts to stand up again. But Sportacus rests a hand on his shoulder and holds him back with gentle force "No. It is not. Please. You said you haven't slept in days because of this… And a good night's rest is…"  
"All right, all right!" interrupts the villain one of Sportacus' usual health educations. He sighs lowly, before finally muttering "I really don't know if love actually exists… It's…unlikely…"  
Sportacus looks at him wide-eyed "But…of course it does! Robbie, how do you even get the idea that it does not??"  
"Well, there's been no proof of its existence! Surely not for _me_ anyway!" he didn't intend to say this out loud, but the hero does this to him. For some reason he can't help but speak his mind when he's around and they're talking normally. That's why it's easier for him in disguise since then everything is a big act…

"Robbie…"

Sportacus' shocked voice tears him from his thoughts and he realizes, his nemesis is looking at him with these puppy eyes again that always start this funny feeling in his stomach again.

"Robbie, that surely isn't true. You _must_ have experienced love of some kind in your life! You're just…confused…"  
Robbie gives him a look.

The hero thinks about it for a moment, then his eyes brighten up "What about your parents?!"  
A snort.

Sportacus' smile drops and he clearly considers asking about Robbie's parents, but realizes that this very likely isn't the right place nor time for that. He tries again "…Uhm… Siblings."

A frown.

"…Any…crushes?…"

A raised eyebrow.

"…Pets?…"

A long, annoyed sigh.

Sportacus actually becomes desperate now "Okay. Then what about…" he claps his hands happily "…yourself!?"

Silence.

"…Huh?…" Robbie looks at him, his eyes giving away his confusion "What…do you mean?…"  
"Well, everybody has a certain love for him- or herself! It's what keeps you going and motivated!" Sportacus' smile drops again and his gaze turns into horrified realization when Robbie just stares at him uneasily "…You… You know… Acceptance!?"  
"…Acceptance?…"  
"Yes. You accept yourself. Your body, your actions, your mind… What makes you _you_ , you see!? That's the first step to loving yourself!" the hero forces himself to calm down a little when Robbie just lowers his eyes and obviously doesn't understand what Sportacus is trying to tell him. The hero takes a deep breath in. He knows that he's about to go in deep water now, but he really wants to help Robbie and it's obvious that the question about love has taken a turn to aim at something much more serious even. - The way Robbie sees himself and maybe why he acts like he sometimes does. Sportacus knows that he's the only one who might be able to help him with understanding his own thoughts, actions and emotions better.

His voice is calm and soft when he now hesitatingly rests a hand on Robbie's tensed back "…Robbie… Do you…like the way you are?…"


	4. Care?!

Hands down.

That's definitely the worst idea he ever had.  
He just can't handle Sportacus looking at him like that. This concerned, protective gaze isn't supposed to be directed at him - the _villain_! And anyway, why is he asking him so many, so ridiculous and useless questions? He asked him to come down from his airship so the hero in blue could answer _his_ questions! Not vice versa!  
Angry with himself and another of his plans backfiring at him he turns his head to look away and clenches his hands into fists.  
"…Robbie?…" Sportacus' voice is thick with concern "Did you hear what I just…"  
"Of course, I did!" the villain shrugs his hand off and crosses his arms, still staring stubbornly at the nearest tree "But I don't see how a counter question is going to answer _my_ origin question for which I called you down here!?"  
Sportacus pulls his hand back reluctantly and can't help a pained look at Robbie's reaction, but he though manages to sound calm "But it does. I promise. Please, Robbie, this is important. If you're not honest with me, I won't be able to help you…"  
"I don't _want_ your help, Sportaflop!" he gets up with a jerk, turns around and glares at the hero "All I wanted was you to answer _one_ simple question! None of your stupid health advices or you telling me that I need to sleep more! None of your poor attempts to analyze me or whatever! None of your fake **_care_**!" He winces at his own yell and notices that Sportacus does the same. And deep down this strange feeling in his stomach grows and drops at seeing him like this. His anger isn't even meant to be directed at the town hero. No, he's angry at himself for becoming afraid of answering Sportacus' last question. Of even just _thinking_ about doing so… And he's angry of his stupid idea to talk to him at all. This simply _had_ to go wrong and he _knew_ it, but ignored this feeling out of pure desperation and…yeah, probably lack of sleep and starving for days… And now he releases the combined amount of anger at the only person who may actually can…and _wants_ to help him. And this person now gives him these huge, hurt puppy eyes again. Just great…

"…Go… Just…leave me alone, okay?! I'm…sorry I even bothered you with this…" he swallows hard, lowers his eyes again, his shoulders drop and he turns around quickly "…On second thought… Stay. I'll go…"  
"Robbie…"  
"No! It's okay, Sportaflop! Just forget that this ever happened!" the villain walks away quickly, sensing the strange sensation in his stomach turn into a light feeling of sickness.

"Robbie, no. Wait!"

Once more there's a strong hand on his shoulder, holding him back. He tenses up and squeezes his eyes shut, but doesn't even bother to try and shake Sportacus off this time, knowing very well that it would be wasted effort.

"…Can't you just…leave me alone?… Don't you have some brads to save and play with?!" his shaking voice misses the usual edge. Sportacus doesn't reply to this. He senses the huge distress the villain is currently in just as his confusion and fear. But he knows, if he lets him walk away like this now, it will only get worse for him and the hero would've missed a great - if not the only - opportunity to help Robbie with him at least trying to do the first step. And that would be fatal.

"…It's not fake…" his voice is nothing but soft and he very gently, soothingly squeezes Robbie's shoulder, turning him back to be able to look him in the eyes, his own begging for the villain to grab the anchor Sportacus is about to toss him, and hold on to it with every bit of strength he has left "…I _do_ care about you, Robbie!…"


	5. Trust?!

These words strike Robbie completely unprepared and he tumbles back with a silent gasp. But Sportacus' hand is still on his shoulder and holding him, keeping him from falling.

At once he's eyeing the villain with obvious concern "Robbie! What's wrong?! Are you dizzy?!?"  
Yes, he is.

But he would never admit that openly, of course. And right now his mind is struggling with much more difficult subjects than dizziness.

"…You… You don't mean that!…" he shakes his head, his breathing becoming shallow and labored "You _don't_ care!"  
"Yes, I _do_ ," the hero tries to keep his voice down and calm, but it turns out to be more and more difficult with Robbie acting this strange "Please, Robbie. Listen to me. I _really_ care about you. And I _really_ want to help you. I'm already trying to, can't you see that?"  
"This is a trick!" Robbie tries to regain control over his body and tries to push the hero off again, his eyes reflecting desperation, confusion and fear "You're just lying, trying to make fun of me! You _can't_ care, because I'm your _enemy_!"  
"I'm neither capable of lying nor would I ever make fun of you," Sportacus tries a small smile, his voice soft but insistent, but he's still not letting go of Robbie's arm "And you are _not_ my enemy. You are my friend, Robbie."  
"Friend?!" the villain forces a fake, dry laugh "I try to chase you out of town on a regular schedule! In other words, I want to get _rid_ of you! How does _that_ fit into being friends?!"  
"You don't really want me to leave. We both know that. If you truly wanted to get rid of me, you just needed to increase the sugar content in one of the fake apples you always give me. You're smart enough to figure that that would very likely kill me," Sportacus meets the villain's gaze unflinching with serious eyes "And you wouldn't have sent me that letter asking for my help today if you didn't trust me in a way. And trust is what friendship is all about. And…also love…" his grip on Robbie's shoulder loosens a little to reduce his feeling of being caged in, but still stays in place to offer physical, as well as psychical support "…And just so you know… I trust you, as well. Otherwise, I wouldn't be here now."

Robbie just stares at the gentle, blue eyes of the town hero for a few seconds. He knows that every single word Sportacus just uttered is true. Of course, he could've hurt or even killed the other a long time ago if he wanted to. But he never even thought about that. He's the villain, yes, but he would never purposefully harm anyone! Sportacus the least! …Not even if he knew that the strange feeling in his stomach would disappear if the hero was gone for good…  
Then he suddenly realizes that he's trembling noticeably and quickly crosses his arms in front of his chest again in a weak attempt to cover this. Forcing his thoughts back into the current situation, he lowers his eyes again, his voice raspy and a little shaking, as well "…Can't you just leave me alone, finally?!…"  
"No. That would betray your trust and only make you feel worse. Believe me," Sportacus squeezes his shoulder once more before placing the hand on his back instead "Please, let's sit down and try to talk about this again, okay?"

It's probably just because he hasn't slept and eaten anything in days, but Robbie starts to feel weak and his trembling gets worse. Sitting down doesn't sound so bad for a chance to prevent himself from blacking out any minute because of sheer exhaustion. So he shrugs and doesn't fight back anymore when the hero gently nudges him back to the bench.

Once they're sitting down again he mumbles with fake annoyance "I really don't know what has come over me when I sent you that stupid message! None of this would've happened if both of us simply stayed where they belong! You, up in your stupid airship and I, in my quiet lair!" The hero doesn't reply to this. He looks at Robbie and studies him precisely.

His hunched shoulders and completely tense but shaking posture.

His fingers, now holding on to the edge of the bench so tight, his knuckles turn white.

His exhaustion reflecting face with his tired but also still confused, scared and desperate, grey eyes…  
"…Aren't you gonna say anything?…" Robbie's voice is low and strained, as if his rant has drained him of his last bit of energy. Sportacus blinks and slowly shakes his head "This time, I listen and you talk," answering on the villain's surprised gaze, he explains "I'm sorry I tried to push you to answer my questions earlier. I honestly only tried to help. But…maybe it's easier for you to just talk about anything you want for now. I promise, I'll listen closely. And as for your question about the existence of love…" he pauses for a few seconds "…For the moment, I can only give you my word that it does exist. And I really hope…that this is enough for you to know to let me help you and…that you don't run off now, that you got the answer, you called me for…" his eyes get afraid and begging.

Robbie takes a deep, slow breath in and closes his eyes for a few seconds, considering his options.

Then he answers lowly "…I won't… On one condition," he turns his head to meet Sportacus' awaiting gaze "… _You_ talk now!…"


	6. Truth?!

Sportacus is completely thrown off guard by Robbie's demand.

He wasn't expecting that he'd want _him_ to talk about anything. He thought that he'd ask for something…more characteristic. Like asking him to stop with his flips or jumps… Yes, a part of the hero even thought that Robbie would force him to leave town once…and _if_ he had successfully helped the villain. But now this…

He blinks, still staring at Robbie's nervous gaze who's clearly waiting for an answer…and obviously expecting a negation of his claim.  
He steadies himself and asks in a calm voice "Okay. I will. About what would you like me to start talking about?"  
Robbie narrows his eyes for a moment "…You… You'd actually…"  
"Yes," Sportacus nods enthusiastically "As long as you think it helps you in any way. Sure, I will," he smiles gently "But you have to give me a hint where I should start from. Otherwise, I might end up telling you something, you're not interested in."  
"Like some scores of the last soccer games?!" for a split second, a weak smile tugs at his lips. Sportacus is so happy he can't help a broad smile, himself. That start of a smile admittedly isn't much, but it's still more than he thought he would achieve with Robbie so soon.

"No, I know you wouldn't be interested in _that_ ," he tilts his head, still smiling softly "So? What shall I say?"  
Robbie, every trace of the smile gone, lowers his eyes again and shifts a little uneasily, mumbling "…I…honestly wasn't expecting you to…agree to this…" He laughs forcedly and swallows hard. The hero eyes him for a few seconds then he suggests softly "How about you ask me some more questions? No matter the topic, I promise, I'll answer truthfully."  
"…Really?…"  
"Really."  
"…Okay…" Robbie's head swirls with all these sudden emotions and the confusion about the situation and he has to close his eyes for a few seconds. Or minutes? He can't tell. But he realizes that Sportacus is waiting patiently and in complete silence for him to start. He's not pushing or rushing him. He isn't even moving one bit, despite his usual, restless self.

He's just breathing.

Calmly.

In and out.

And Robbie can hear this since he's sitting close enough. And somehow, this soothes his own throbbing heartbeat and shallow breathing again and the thick mist in his mind slowly starts to clear.

"…Why are you here in LazyTown?…" he nearly winces when his own low voice cuts through the peaceful silence now.

"Because Stephanie needed my help and sent me a letter."  
"Yeah, but to get this, you must've already been flying around the town in your airship, otherwise, the tube with the letter in it would've just flown very high and then fallen down to earth again like every other ordinary object you catapult up in the air in any way."

He should know. He's been the object multiple times already after all.

"So, what were you doing up there in the first place?"  
Sportacus looks at him. He had successfully suppressed a wince at the smart but unexpected question and considers his reply for a moment "I've been…looking for someone…"  
"Who?" now, Robbie tilts his head in interest and nosiness. For a split second his exhaustion falls off of him and he feels quite good. That is until he hears Sportacus answer after the hero reminded himself that he promised Robbie to be completely honest with him.

He takes a deep breath in then he searches the villain's eyes and answers lowly, in the softest voice he manages in the current situation "You."


	7. Orders?!

"W-What?" Robbie shrinks back a little, his eyes reflecting his confusion and even slight fear "Why would you…be looking…for _me_?"  
Sportacus tries his best to sound calming although he secretly already regrets that he promised Robbie to be all honest with him even in this topic now "I'm sure you remember my precursor Number Nine? He's been in LazyTown…when you've been a teenager, I guess?…" he gives the other man a careful look and notices that he winced again. Robbie starts chewing at his lower lip but nods weakly, his eyes not meeting Sportacus' anymore. His voice is low and slightly trembling "…I take it, he…didn't actually praise my…behavior when he returned…home… Did he?…"  
Sportacus gives a small smile "I really don't know what he told the elders about you. When he returned I was in the middle of our school year, myself. But…" he searches for gentle words that ideally won't startle Robbie even more.

"…But?…" the villain feels a thick lump in his throat and he grabs the edge of the bench tightly again.

The hero sighs mutely "…Because of his report the Elders decided that you were a possible danger for our…community…and our beliefs in a healthy life. It is… It's complicated…" he sighs again, this time audibly "They monitored LazyTown…and you for several years… When it became clear that you had the town pretty much under your control, and everybody, even the kids were lazy, they decided to move in… And since I just graduated and got my hero title, they sent me to…" he stops.

Robbie feels himself tense up even more and his breathing hitches a little.

Several seconds of uneasy silence pass then he asks hoarsely "…kill me?…"  
"No!" Sportacus' horrified yell startles even himself and he quickly calms himself again "No, of course not. They… They sent me to…catch you…"  
"…and?…" Robbie forces himself to carefully glance at the other now.

"…I… I don't know…" now Sportacus lowers his eyes for a moment and his voice becomes slightly nervous "…The Elders…don't tell us everything… And it doesn't happen very often that we get the order to capture someone and take him to them so they can hold a trial and judge over his…punishment…" he swallows hard and finally manages to meet Robbie's gaze again, his eyes full of different emotions and a silent plead.

Robbie tries to clear his thoughts and progress the new information he just got.

He does know so much: when he's been in his teenage years, the citizens in this town were lazy but at peace with each other. He was the smartest in school and loved to build and invent things. The other kids respected and even sometimes admired him, but he never boasted with this. When one day a hero appeared who called himself ‘Number Nine', everything changed. He dragged the kids outside and motivated them to play and move around the whole time. But Robbie didn't want to. He rather went for slow, long walks at night when it was cool and quiet. But Nine didn't approve of that. Over time, a quarrel started between them and Robbie managed to play several pranks on the hero. But he always got the boy back for it over his friends. They laughed at him when Robbie tried to play with them and didn't hit the ball right or got exhausted so quickly. School and free time became hard for Robbie but he refused to give in and with his desperation his pranks got meaner, as well… Sometimes things even escalated far worse than he had intended to… The quarrel lasted several years until Nine saw that the kids had grown up enough to take care of themselves and he left town. But not without warning Robbie that he'd keep a close eye on him and that he therefore better stopped being this lazy and mean… Robbie however was so frustrated and felt left alone with everything that he did just the opposite… Some quiet years passed by. Most of his friends left town. Some stayed and had kids on their own… And once the kids got old enough and that pink girl showed up for the first time, Sportacus, Hero Number Ten, appeared…  
"…Robbie?… Robbie."

He winces when a hand touches his shoulder and tears him out of his thoughts.

Blinking slowly, he turns his head to look at Sportacus' worried gaze.

"Robbie, are you okay? You haven't moved for several minutes now…"  
"…Why…" the villain swallows dryly and tries to focus again "…Why…didn't you…follow the order?… Why didn't you just grab me and brought me to your people? Why did you endure all this time with me, trying to get rid of you if you just had to…"  
"Because the moment I met you, I realized that you're nothing like Nine and the Elders claimed you are," Sportacus gives him a careful, soft smile and gently squeezes his shoulder.

"Oh, am I not?! I'm lazy, I'm moody, I'm…"  
"You are fun, caring and not mean at all!" contradicts Sportacus firmly "I know you pretend otherwise, but you _do_ care about the kids and you have fun playing with them. And they like you, as well. Just like I do."

Robbie blushes furiously at this and quickly changes the subject "But what will your Elders say when you don't return? Or you return…but without me?"

A moment of silence passes and then the hero can't prevent his eyes from growing sad, no matter how hard he tries to prevent just that, and his voice breaks a little "…That's why I'm not returning home. Ever."


	8. Reasons?!

Robbie stares at the hero.

The words sink in very slowly at first, but then the meaning hits him like a baseball, thrown by the hero himself and he winces again when Sportacus' sad eyes meet his own. He opens his mouth, but nothing comes out at first. The other is still looking at him, obviously not so sure anymore himself about what to say next.

"…Just to make sure, I actually…get that right now…" Robbie chews at his lower lip "…You stayed in LazyTown…not because the kids asked you to do so but…because you couldn't return home…without _me_ … Did I understand that correctly?"

The hero nods weakly "…Of course I also liked the idea of staying. The kids are great and _everybody_ here is so nice and caring…" he gives the villain a light nod, signaling that _he_ also was included in the strongly emphasized word "…But if they had not asked me to stay…then my airship and I would've been homeless, that's right."  
"So in other words… I, the guy who wanted you to leave town so badly, am actually the main reason why you stayed!?"  
"In many ways. Yes," he gives Robbie a soft smile.

At once this strange feeling in his stomach grows heavier again and he quickly lowers his eyes and mumbles "…Have you really _never_ considered to follow this order after all?…"  
"No."  
"Never ever?"  
"No, Robbie. Not even once. Not even the first second we met. Whatever it is the Elders would do with you for punishment you would _not_ deserve it!" Sportacus' eyes grow sad again and even a little uneasy.

"…And…what would happen to _you_ if you _did_ return _without_ me one day?…" he swallows hard, feeling nervous at the mere thought of Sportacus getting actually punished or hurt just because he intends on protecting his enemy.

"I'm…not sure…" a wry smile appears on Sportacus' face and he blushes a little, starting to play with his fingers, his voice low now "…I can't recall a case where anybody ever dared to do so…"  
"Are you…scared?…" Robbie's voice is barely more than a whisper and a part of him - the forced villainous part - tells him to mock the hero, but the much bigger, softer part of him feels a pang of guilt and actual sympathy for the other. Sportacus just looks at him for a moment then he shrugs weakly "…A little maybe… But what would bother me much worse then, would be the fear that they'd send someone new to capture you if I returned alone…"  
"So you were…actually serious?! You will never even try to return home again because you…fear for my…safety?…" Robbie's voice has gotten lower and lower and is hardly more than an unbelieving whisper at the end.

Now, Sportacus' gaze lightens up again and he gives him a happy, comforting smile "Yes!"  
"But…don't you miss…home?…" Robbie starts to feel even stranger now and his head is slightly spinning.

Another pause.

"…I do… Sometimes… Especially at night I miss the beautiful light of our sky…" his voice trails off and his eyes take on a dreamy expression. And the villain feels even worse. It's ridiculous! He wants Sportaflop out of town but is actually the reason why he has barely any other option than to _stay_. And he's the villain of this town and at the same time he feels horribly guilty for making the hero sad and miss home… It's too much for him to progress right now…

Sportacus shakes his head, forcing himself to return from his memories back to the present. When he looks back at Robbie his expression becomes worried again "Robbie, do you feel well? You look quite pale and shaky…"  
"Of course I feel well, Sportaflop!" stonewalls the other at once and turns his head to look away, his fingers digging even harder into the edge of the wooden bench now "It's just…quite an amount of information at once and I… I need to think about this in quiet…in my lair again… So!" he pushes himself up from the bench "If you're so kind to excuse me n-" the last part of the sentence gets stuck in his throat when he suddenly gets all dizzy.

His knees give way underneath him and the last thing he hears before blacking out completely is Sportacus' terrified call "Robbie!!!"


	9. Help?!

It's too loud.

It's too bright.

Even with shut eyes.

His head is aching and his heart pounding.

This strange feeling in his stomach has grown even stronger and is almost painful now.

He groans, but the far too loud seeming sound lets him wince and a pathetic whimper escapes him.  
"Robbie?! Robbie, can you hear me?"

There's something on his arm now.

He wants to shrug it off, but he can't muster the energy to do so. Instead, he rather groans again, followed by another whimper due to the noise.

"Robbie, please, if you can hear me, squeeze my hand or at least move your fingers!" begs the same worried voice again, shortly before a warm hand grabs his own.

This is ridiculous.

Why would he do that? And why would there even be the possibility of him _not_ hearing the infernal yelling of Sportaflop?

Wait.

Sportacus?! What is he doing here? Wherever…‘here' is…

What…

But at this moment, his memory returns and he remembers everything.

He called Sportacus for help so he could answer his questions about…love…

The (embarrassing) talk took quite an unexpected turn and now he knows that Sportacus actually came to LazyTown with the order to capture _him_ and take him to his people for some sort of unknown punishment… Since the hero refuses to do so he now is, more or less, hiding in this town…

And then, after hearing all this, Robbie now remembers that he…collapsed.

Oh no…

He reflexively brings his free hand to his face, wipes it and groans again.

Just perfect…

"Robbie!" the happy cry is followed by a cool hand, resting on his forehead "Robbie, you're awake again!"  
"Of course I am, Sportadork!" growls the villain and forces his eyes open to glare at the other, but instead they grow wide with shock and puzzlement and he so much as squeaks "What am I doing **_here_**?!?"  
"Please, Robbie, don't fuss! Your lair would've been too far away and I also didn't want to invade it without permission, so…"  
"I neither gave you the permission to **_take me here_**!" yells Robbie angrily with a weak flail of his arm before he quickly pushes both of Sportacus' hands off and sits up on the bed with a jerk.

"Well you…were pretty much out of it, so I had no chance to ask you…" admits Sportacus with slight embarrassment, but then he warns worriedly "No, don't sit up so fast! You might…" The next second he has to catch Robbie in an embrace to keep him from falling face first down from the bed, and murmurs "…That's what I was going to say…"  
"…What…" once more Robbie wipes his face, trying to hide his embarrassment of needing saving again by mumbling "…What is going on?…"  
"You collapsed the moment you stood up from that bench," Sportacus gently places the villain on the bed again, this time keeping one hand gently rested on his chest to hold him down, his smile is soothing but obviously forced "Now you're running a light fever. That's probably caused by your lack of sleep and… When and what did you say was the last time you ate something?"  
"You could've taken me anywhere! Why above all places did it have to be your **_horrible airship_**??" asks Robbie back without bothering to answer the hero's question at first, his eyes are reflecting fear and confusion now. Sportacus sighs lowly "Because it was the place closest by and…I knew that I could take care of you here best… But we're not in the air anymore. I ordered it to land, otherwise it would've become difficult to get you inside in this…condition… Maybe this soothes you a little…"  
"Soothes?! This ship **_hates_** me! I guess, it even _mocks_ me in a very weird way!" cries Robbie desperate and tries to pry Sportacus' hand from his chest, but without success. The hero gives a small, gentle smile "You really don't have to be afraid. It's just a computer and it would never harm anybody. Besides, this time, you're here for a good reason, not because you want to sabotage anything."  
"I'm not scared!" huffs Robbie miffed and turns his head to look away and at the white wall.

Everything in here is of a bright white.

It's awful!

It's just far too _bright_ to be comfortable!

How can one life here?!

And how does he _always_ manage to get himself into such situations?!  
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean it like that…" murmurs Sportacus now softly and carefully feels Robbie's forehead again. His heart breaks a little when the other flinches again at this, but what bothers him even more is the radiating heat coming from the villain…  
"Get _away_ from me, Sportaflop!" growls Robbie and grabs Sportacus' hand on his head with both of his and tries to push him off.

"But Robbie! You're sick! You need help!"  
"I don't need **_anything_** from **_anybody_**! Especially no **_help_** from **_you_**!" he's desperate now.

He feels absolutely miserable and he just wants to go _home_.

But Sportacus won't let him…

"But everybody needs help sometimes. And you certainly do now!" contradicts the hero firmly and his one hand moves from Robbie's forehead to his wrist to feel the pulse. Seconds later he furrows his brows in a concerned way the other man hasn't seen before with him "Robbie, I really don't like this. I better call a doctor and…"  
"No!" Robbie's one hand grabs the arm of the hero while the fingers of his other one dig into the soft surface of Sportacus' bed beneath him and he furiously shakes his head "No, please don't!"  
Sportacus looks at him in surprise for a moment, taking in his shaking, shallowly breathing figure before he asks softly "Why not?"  
"I… Just…don't. Okay? …Please…" he swallows hard and searches the hero's gaze.

"Okay," Sportacus smiles at him before shortly, gently squeezing the hand still digging into the bed "I won't. For now. But if it gets any worse…"  
"It won't!" cuts Robbie him off, trying to fall back into character and into his normal voice "That's just a little exhaustion… Nothing to worry about, really."  
"Robbie, you _collapsed_! And you even could've gotten hurt doing so!"  
"Yeah, right. I'll consider a safer place than an uneven path to do so next time," he rolls his eyes and tries to sit up again. But Sportacus still doesn't remove his hands, his voice and gaze uncharacteristic hard "I'm serious, Robbie. This is nothing to joke around with! Your body…"  
"Dare to give me _one_ health advice now, and I _swear_ I'll leave the ship this instant!"

At once Sportacus' face lights up "And if I don't do this you're going to stay here and let me help you?"  
Robbie winces again. His head is still spinning violently. But the obvious answer appears to be… "…I suppose…that's what it means, yeah…"  
"Okay! Deal!" Sportacus is all excited and happy about these news and claps his hands "Okay, first of all, you need to tell me exactly where you hurt and how you feel and…"  
"Sportaflop!" interrupts Robbie with a low groan "Could you **_please_** keep it down?! Because for starters, my head hurts incredibly and each loud voice feels like an explosion in my head!"  
"Sorry!" Sportacus lowers his voice at once and calms himself although he wonders why Robbie himself is yelling then and now if it hurts himself. Then he watches the other while he recovers a little from both their yelling and loud talking. After a few seconds of silence, Robbie suddenly asks in a whisper "…Why are you doing this? Why are you helping me? Why do you care so much about what is happening to me?…"  
"I already told you…" Sportacus carefully rests his hand on Robbie's warm cheek and smiles gently "Loving is caring."

The strange feeling in Robbie's stomach becomes overwhelming and he cries out. Squeezing his eyes shut, he turns on his side and pulls his knees up to his chest in a surprisingly strong and fluid motion.

"Robbie!" Sportacus quickly does a flip over the bed to get to see the villain's painful frown on his face, rather than his back. He notices the way Robbie is holding his stomach and figures with great relief that it's not his appendix at least.

But what is it?

"Robbie… Robbie, look at me. Shush," he gently slides his right hand under the other's cheek and lifts his head a little while his other hand moves to rest next to Robbie's own and gently feel his stomach "It's all right. It's going to be okay. I promise…"

With a low whimper Robbie opens one eye to look at him, his voice a weak, barely audible rasp "…Why?…"  
Sportacus gives another, soothing smile and gently caresses the cheek with his thumb. His answer is low as well, but clear "Because I _care_."


	10. Scared?!

The painful cramps have slowly faded away after some time of Sportacus' low, soothing words and gentle massage of his abdomen.

Whether it's been seconds or minutes…or…more, Robbie really can't tell.

But he doesn't really care right now, anyway.

He's just relieved that he doesn't feel like he's dying anymore at the moment…

And he desperately tries to figure out the meaning of Sportacus' words.

'I care' Why would he say that?! To mock him?! But…Sportacus has never mocked him before…  
"…Better?…" once more, Sportacus' thumb strokes over his cheek and he smiles sympathetically.

The villain nods weakly and exhales slowly, not sure whether he should smile back and even less sure whether he could muster the strength to if he wanted to right now.

So he just stares at Sportacus' concerned, bright, blue eyes, finding the sight somewhat soothing. The hero caresses his cheek one last time before he pulls both his hands back and straightens up again, his voice still low but firm "You have to eat something! And, even more important, drink water!" he furrows his brows, noticing Robbie's lack of reaction to this "…Robbie?…"

The villain blinks.

Did Sportacus say anything? Why is he giving him that strange look again? He must've missed something. His voice sounds horribly raspy and strained to his own ears "…What?…"  
Sportacus worriedly shakes his head "Never mind. Stay down and don't move. I'm going to prepare something that gives you back some of your energy!"  
"Don't you dare try to poison me with that nasty Sportscandy of yours, Sportaflop!" growls the villain weakly and swallows hard "Can't you just…take me to my lair and let me rest?… I mean… Thank you for…" he blushes "…you know… But the pain is gone now. I'll be fine from now on!"  
"It will return if you don't eat anything good, soon," contradicts Sportacus strictly, turns around and goes over to the table, he calls his kitchen, while talking on "And I won't leave you alone until you're out of danger again. And I also won't take you to your cold, dark lair, as long as you're running a fever and can't even get up on your own."  
"This…" Robbie honestly doesn't know how to feel about this, so he stammers "…This is…kidnapping! You're holding me against my will!"  
Sportacus holds in his move to…whatever he's doing, Robbie can't see it from the bed, and turns back to face him. His gaze is uncharacteristic serious when he gestures at the door "I'm not. You're free to leave at any time. But you should've realized until now that getting up is no good idea."

Robbie can't believe it. Usually, the hero is never this…sarcastic. But he has archived his goal with it. Robbie doesn't move and only fixes his eyes at the white wall again, mumbling lowly "…I though won't eat or drink anything…"  
"Please, at least try it."  
"No."  
"…Okay…"

Once more, the villain feels as if he'd just kicked a puppy when he hears Sportacus' low, almost hurt voice. But he tries not to think about it, knowing pretty well that this is the hero's tactic.

A few minutes of silence pass, only interrupted by the low sounds of Sportacus working. During this, Robbie drifts in and out of a slight daze, each time, waking up by a low whimper that is his own.

It's embarrassing.

And Sportacus must've heard it, but he doesn't say a single word…

When he wakes himself up once again and opens his eyes he's surprised to find a plate on a small table right in front of his face, ergo, right next to the bed. The plate is filled - not with vegetables and fruits as he has feared, but with some sandwiches with ham and cheese on them. He voices his surprise in a low gasp and searches for the hero at once, moving his head around a bit although he starts to feel dizzy again at once.

"It's your decision whether you eat or not now… But, please, do drink something. I made you some tea. That will also help your stomach a little at best…" within a blink, Sportacus is sitting at the edge of the bed, in his hand a cup with a steaming liquid inside, his begging eyes searching Robbie's "…I…even put some sugar in it…"  
"…Sugar?…" parrots the villain lowly and narrows his eyes "Where would you get _sugar_ from?! And ham and cheese! As far as I know, you don't eat either of them and… _sugar_? In this ship?! Come on! What kind of poison did you _really_ put in there!?" talking is so incredibly exhausting. And fussing while doing so even more so…

"It _is_ sugar," Sportacus' heart sinks a little when he hears that Robbie actually seems to believe that Sportacus would try to hurt or even kill him like this, so he offers almost desperately "If you don't believe me…then let me show you! Apple!"  
Robbie winces when out of nowhere an apple comes flying right into the hero's hand, who eyes it for a moment before raising the cup to his lips.

"Wait! What are you doing?!" Robbie doesn't know how, but he sits up within a blink and grabs Sportacus' arm, searching his eyes in pure shock and confusion. The hero returns the look for a moment, before explaining calmly "Well, you need a proof that this tea isn't poisoned, so I'm going to take a sip and try to quickly neutralize the sugar with this apple…"  
"You're crazy!" Robbie glares at him "I'm not going to let you kill yourself during a stupid…presentation or anything, so you can later claim that I did that or anything!" he swallows dryly, before mumbling "…Okay… Let's get over with it…" he reaches out to take the cup and eye it for a moment before taking a careful, tiny sip. Sportacus watches in pure happiness and relief how Robbie's tensed expression quickly relaxes once the sweetness of the sugar is coming through completely and he slowly empties the cup.

"…Thanks… I guess…" he returns the cup and looks everywhere but into the hero's shining eyes.

He feels strange again…

"…I… I guess, I…should lay down for a moment again…" he groans lowly when a slight feeling of sickness threatens to come over him and shaking tries to slide back onto the bed completely.

"Easy. You don't look well…" Sportacus quickly places the cup and the apple at the small table, before wrapping his arms around Robbie to ease him down again.

"…Ever looked in a mirror, Sportaflop?…" groans Robbie lowly, his voice strained and once more, completely missing the usual edge.

"Hush. Breathe…" Sportacus sits back down at the edge of the bed again, placing one hand on the other's forehead and the other on his stomach again "Are you in any pain?"  
"Hm… My head is spinning…" mumbles Robbie weakly while his eyes flutter open and shut again and again and a low whimper escapes him. Sportacus feels his heart breaking even more at this sight and gently strokes over the villain's stomach and chest, wishing for nothing more than to remove these uncomfortable clothes of Robbie that keep him from actually feeling where he is hurt and why. But he can sense the other's distress in being here at all, and he doesn't want to make him even more uncomfortable by asking him to remove his clothes…

"Shush….Try to rest a little more. You'll probably feel better afterwards…" he gently caresses Robbie's cheeks and temples, trying his best to soothe him. The villain parts his lips slightly and mumbles something under his breath. Confused, Sportacus bows down to his face and asks in a careful whisper "What?…"

The answer probably should be no surprise, due to the circumstances, but it though startles the hero a little bit.

"…I'm scared…"


	11. Thoughts?!

His breathing shouldn't be this shallow and uneven.

And the way he frowns with each low groan hints at the fact that he's still in pain.

But what unsettles Sportacus the most are Robbie's last words, shortly before he fell asleep again: 'I'm scared.'

It's so unlike the villain to admit this openly. Sure, the hero has seen the other in multiple situations in which he was scared…not to say terrified. And most of these times it was up to him to save him then.

But this now is…different.

This time, Robbie isn't falling down or has got stuck somewhere, and none of his plans or inventions has gone wrong and backfired at him.

And he isn't screaming.

This time, he hasn't done anything wrong.

This time, he has been entirely confused when he called for the hero.

And now he's…sick.

And he's neither screaming nor complaining the way he would if he felt just…bad in any way.

He admitted in a very likely more subconscious whisper that he is scared. And he hasn't been complaining about Sportacus touching him anymore, since he brought him here, either. He even seems to be hardly aware of what is going on around him at times.

Sportacus sighs lowly. He's concerned beyond limits for his friend.

'Friend'…

At this thought, another sigh escapes him. He knows that Robbie sees himself differently. And that's why he still can't understand that the hero actually cares and is highly worried about his wellbeing. Especially at the moment…

Another heartbreaking whimper coming from the bed startles Sportacus and, as always, he quickly spins around to look at Robbie and make sure he isn't waking up or…worse… But once again, he isn't. He just winces again and frowns even more.

Sportacus feels a short, sharp stab in his heart and swallows hard. He _hates_ seeing Robbie like this! It's one of the worst feelings he has ever experienced! And yet…he somehow is at least slightly relieved that Robbie broke down when he was present. He doesn't dare to imagine this happening in his lair with absolutely no one around to help him…

Sportacus weakly shakes his head. For helping Robbie, he has to focus! No matter how hard it is…

He takes a deep breath in and closes his eyes for a moment to recall what he learned about the basics of (human) biology and medicine at his school. Then he finally stops his restless pacing in front of the end of the bed and walks (!) over to one of the closets in the wall of his airship. He pushes the button and the door opens silently. The hero's eyes roam the many different supplies for a moment. He rarely uses them. In fact… He never did for other purpose than mere exercise and tests… And he really hoped he would never have to change this…

He calms himself.

This is not the right time to get lost in thoughts!

Besides, right now, he luckily still doesn't need any of the…heavy medical devices. Right now, he only has to take care that Robbie's temperature doesn't rise even more. He takes out the ear thermometer and, with slight hesitation, the stethoscope, as well. Then he returns to the bed and carefully checks his patient's temperature. Robbie flinches away a little with a low whimper when the coldness of the device brushes against the heated skin of his ear and Sportacus quickly uses his free hand to keep his head still with gently caressing his warm cheek again, murmuring low words of comfort despite the fact that his own uneasiness is steadily growing and even getting an extra boost when he checks the display of the thermometer, although he really shouldn't be this surprised about the proof that Robbie is actually running a pretty high fever. But for some reason, he though feels some kind of shock and… Desperation? Concern? Fear? Probably all of it. But he can't allow himself to lose his head now because of this. Not if he wants to help Robbie. And that's exactly what he _will_ do now!

With a determined gaze, he puts the thermometer aside and flips to another closet. After taking out all of the pillows and blankets he owns, he carries them over to his bed. Extremely carefully, so he won't wake the still whimpering but sleeping man, he arranges the pillows, and very gently turns Robbie on his back so he is now a little propped up by them, as well. Reacting on his shivering, the hero also wraps him up in several blankets until the trembling actually fades to a minimum. Satisfied with how cozy Robbie's new, temporary sleeping place is looking now, Sportacus then turns to get a damp cloth and carefully put it on the villain's hot forehead. Once more Robbie winces and whimpers lowly, but then he relaxes a little and, probably also due to his changed position, starts breathing a little more evenly. Sportacus is relieved to see that his actions have eased the other's distress a little, but he still isn't entirely sure yet whether Robbie's discomfort actually is caused 'just' by overexertion, lack of sleep and food, and possibly even dehydration, or if there's more to this. Maybe…something worse? Something more dangerous?… But either way, he has to help him. And right now, there's not much to do than keep watch, exchange the rag on his forehead then and now and…maybe comfort him with his presents. Because no matter what Robbie may claim, Sportacus did notice that the villain is more relaxed and at ease when he's, for example, holding him in his arms after he had to rescue him again. Each time he does he can sense Robbie's muscles relax the tiniest bit. Although…this somehow appears to be controversial, because the other usually flinches and winces back when anybody, including Sportacus, does so much as to get a little too close or touch him when he isn't prepared for it…

He sighs lowly. Robbie is difficult to understand and read, yes. But Sportacus wishes for nothing more than to be able to help him. With everything. He was so happy when he got Robbie's letter this early morning and when the other man later agreed to talk with him. But when he collapsed…

Sportacus' train of thought gets disturbed by a low, weak, but painful cry coming from the bed.

"Robbie!"

The villain is tossing and turning weakly but still screaming, obviously terrified.

"Robbie, it's all right!" without thinking about it Sportacus sits down on the bed again, pulling the trashing man into a firm hug, with his back pressed flush against the hero's chest, and he murmurs over and over again "Shush, shush…"

Minutes pass until Robbie's feverish muttering and crying finally stop slowly, just as his weak attempts to twist his body out of the embrace, and all that remains is a soft whimpering. Then his eyes crack open a bit and he looks up and into Sportacus' concerned face, his voice strained, barely above a whisper, and audibly pained "…Sportacus…"

"Shush. Easy, Robbie. It was just a nightmare. I'm here. You're safe now," the hero gently runs a hand through the sweat wet, confused hair and forces a soothing smile "You are going to be okay. Don't worry."

"…Please…don't…leave me…alone…" rasps Robbie weakly before he closes his eyes again with another low groan, and turns his head a little to nuzzle his hot cheek closer against the hero's throat. Sportacus freezes for a moment, unable to do or reply anything at the feeling of Robbie falling limp in his arms again now, relaxing into the hero's tight embrace. But then he whispers lowly "I won't. I promise."

He keeps caressing Robbie's cheek with one hand, then and now brushing over his forehead to check on his fever, while his other holds him close to his chest…

Then a low beeping sounds up, reminding him, that it's 08:08 and time for bed.

"…Yes, I know…" he breathes in very carefully to not disturb Robbie's finally peaceful sleep and very slowly eases himself further down into a lying position with Robbie now resting partly on his chest, partly on the pillows surrounding them. He manages to cover both of them with one of the blankets before sighing lowly, with slight relief once more "…I know…"


	12. Doctor?!

There is a steady, calming sound.  
And it's pleasantly warm and comfortable.  
These are the first things Robbie's mind registers when he very slowly wakes up.

With a relaxed sigh, he opens one eye and notices that it's still dark. He should go back to sleep. He still feels rather exhausted, anyway. Yeah. It would be best to just close both eyes again and return to sleep…

But instead his second eye now opens as well and he looks around in the darkness. He can't really see anything, but he feels…strange.

 _It_ feels strange - this _place_.

It's not his lair! He can sense that…

But where is he then? And why and where exactly is he sleeping here? And what was that low beat he heard before waking up? Now fully awake, he decides to get up and find some answers to his questions. But when he now tries to push himself up, he notices two more things: he can't, because he simply is too weak and shaky even when he does so much as move his head, and…he is stuck in another way… The moment his mind understands that there is an _arm_ around his chest, his mouth already opens for a terrified scream " ** _AAAAAAH!_** "  
"Robbie!"

There is another hand in his hair that now moves to grab his own hands that are weakly trying to pry the arm away from his chest.

He keeps screaming.

"Robbie, it's okay! It's me, Sportacus!"

But although the villain hears these words, he doesn't understand the meaning and just screams on.

"Robbie, please! …Lights!"

The very next second Robbie squeezes his eyes shut and ducks his head when white explodes in front of his eyes.

So that's it now…

He falls silent.

That is the end of Robbie Rotten…  
"…Shush… Robbie… Hey. It's okay, calm down…" Sportacus gently squeezes Robbie's suddenly cold, shaking hands, trying to soothe the shocked villain again. Carefully, he grabs his wrist to take his pulse, finding it throbbing far too quick and unsteady. "…Robbie, please, look at me. You don't have to be afraid, it's me, Sportacus…" whispers the hero lowly, looking down on Robbie's face with obvious concern "Please, open your eyes…"  
"…I'm…dead…" comes a hoarse mumble, followed by a painful frown.

"No, you're not. You'll be okay, I promise," assures Sportacus with only a hint of relief that the other is responding at all "…Robbie… Trust me. You're not dead. Just…sick…"

A few more seconds pass, then Robbie takes another, hectic breath in and cracks an eye open. This time almost a whole minute passes, before he suddenly rasps "…Sportacus?!…"  
"Yes. It's really me. And it's okay. Please, try to calm down…" the hero forces a soothing smile, hoping to successfully hide his concern.

"…But… What are you… Where am I?!" the villain turns his head and finally recognizes the airship "Why am I…" he stops and instead one of his hands darts to his head and he buries his face in it with a low groan. Sportacus gives him a moment to calm down a bit again, then he asks carefully "…Do you remember…"  
"Yes," Robbie removes his hand and now looks straight into Sportacus' gentle, blue eyes, his voice is still low and exhausted "…I remember everything until I fell asleep… You…gave me some…tea…"  
"Yes!" Sportacus sighs relieved, then he smiles gently "I'm glad, you remember again!"  
"…Yes…" Robbie's gaze moves down to the arm, still holding him in place…pressed against Sportacus' chest and he feels heat rushing to his face "…But what I don't remember is…" his voice trails off.

"Robbie?" Sportacus is worried again at once, but then he follows the villain's view and quickly lifts his arm off his chest, giving him more space "I'm sorry! I just… Your fever was so high and you had nightmares and started squirming and crying and when I embraced you, you finally relaxed and…" he shifts away a little further, after making sure Robbie is propped up by pillows now completely and lowers his eyes "…And at 08:08, I fell asleep, as well…with you still in my arms… I'm really sorry! I didn't mean to scare you or anything! I just thought…it was good for you, and when you asked me to not leave you alone, I thought…"  
"I did _what_?!" the other feels his heart nearly skipping a beat.

"You…asked me to not leave you alone…" repeats the hero carefully, before narrowing his eyes "Robbie, are you all right? You're so pale again out of a sudden…"  
"…Did I…say anything…else?…"  
"No…"

With a relieved sigh, Robbie closes his eyes for a moment, trying to calm his throbbing heartbeat again. But when he senses a cool, soft hand on his forehead, he opens them again and looks straight into Sportacus' concerned gaze once more.

"…What are you doing?…"  
"You're still pretty warm… Hold on," Sportacus grabs the thermometer from the table and holds it into Robbie's ear, holding his head steady with his free hand. Seconds later, he announces "Your temperature has lowered a little, but you're still running a fever. You _really_ have to drink and eat something. The sooner, the better!"  
"…Where…did you get that from?…" Robbie's eyes are fixed on the ear thermometer.

"It's part of my equipment."  
"…I…didn't know that you're a…doctor…"  
"I am not," Sportacus furrows his brows "…Well… At least not…in the way you think… Medical basics are part of our studies meanwhile… I can't replace a real doctor, but it's enough for emergencies…like yours…" The hero feels a little bit nervous at telling him this. He hasn't told anybody about this until now… Robbie just blinks, looking at him with confusion reflecting eyes. They stare at each other for several minutes, until the uneasy silence gets interrupted by a loud, growling sound, followed by a pained cry and Robby turning onto his side with a jerk, pulling his legs up to lie in fetal position now, whimpering and sobbing lowly. "…Robbie…" Sportacus hesitatingly shifts closer again, gently unfolding the villain to rest one hand on his stomach and start another gentle massage, while running the other one up and down his arm in a soothing manner, his voice low but intense and pleading "Robbie, you have to eat something now."

But his patient weakly shakes his head, squeezing his eyes shut even tighter, while his hands blindly search the bed for something to hold on to "No! It… It hurts too much… I… I don't want to…"  
"But you have to. It will hurt even worse when you do nothing. Believe me," now Sportacus gently takes both of Robbie's shaking hands and gives him his own to hold on to and squeeze tightly whenever he has to cry out again under another painful cramp of his abdomen. His voice lowers even more and becomes begging "Please, Robbie. I know you're scared and it's completely understandable that you are. But if you don't eat and drink anything, soon, I won't be able to help you anymore and then I _have_ to take you to a real doctor…"  
"N-No! Please, Sportacus, don't!" Robbie opens his eyes, to look at the hero again, and the next moment, tears start rolling down his face. Sportacus feels his heart breaking at this, but he smiles soothingly "You really don't have to be afraid, Robbie. I… I won't let anybody harm you, I promise! …But it would be so much better, if you tried to eat some of the sandwiches. Just a few bites… Please… You have to trust me…"  
Robbie is still looking at the hero, trying to progress everything he just said, despite the pain in his stomach. Then he parts his lips a bit and murmurs weakly but still with audible surprise "…You…really…care…"  
"Yes!" Sportacus grabs his hands a little tighter, nodding to support his words even more, feeling a tiny spark of hope that Robbie seems to start to understand and believe his words "Yes, I do! And therefore, I would never let anything bad happen to you, Robbie! …But now, you have to trust me to let me help you help yourself! Please. I know, it's much to ask for, especially in your current situation and condition… But _please_ …trust me…"


	13. Priorities?!

Robbie's cramps in his abdomen were stronger and lasted much longer this time.

But now, several minutes have passed, without him crying out again and squeezing Sportacus' hand with a strength, the hero honestly did not expect, especially since Robbie can't even muster enough strength to sit up on his own at the moment…

But Sportacus doesn't care about the slight pain in his own hand right now. He's just incredibly relieved that Robbie's breathing and heartbeat have calmed a bit during the pain free break. He, though studies the villain's slightly more relaxed expression without interruption to make sure he isn't just trying to suffer silently now, while his second hand still gently massages the other's stomach.

After a long time of silence, Robbie opens his eyes, and, without moving any further, he whispers "…Sportacus…"  
"Yes, Robbie?"  
"…What time is it?…" The hero turns his head to look at the clock, before facing the villain again, his own voice still a whisper, as well, and he smiles softly "It's quarter to three in the morning."  
"…Shouldn't you be sleeping then?…" Robbie lets go of the hero's hand to cross his arms in front of his chest, as good as he can while lying on his side, and furrows his brows. He didn't mean to say that. It simply came out of nowhere. And it sounded so awfully like mocking, although he really didn't want it to. The hero has been so nice to him and he _actually_ cared! And here Robbie is, reminding him that he's wasting his time with the villain instead of just quickly muttering ‘Thank you.' and disappear from Sportacus' home. He blinks and swallows hard, feeling a thick lump in his throat again.

"A good night's rest is important that's correct. But not as important as you," the hero gives him a bright, but still soft smile "I have my priorities, you know?"  
"…Priorities?…" Robbie stares at him for a moment "…You mean…I'm…more important to you than…sleep?!?"  
"Well, of course you are!" Sportacus laughs lowly, before gently cupping Robbie's still warm cheek. Reacting on the villain's wincing, he murmurs softly "I won't hurt you, Robbie. You know that. It's okay."

Swallowing once more, Robbie tries to relax into the light touch and searches Sportacus' warm, gentle eyes, his own giving away his confusion and fear "…Why are you doing all this?…"  
"I care."  
"…Yes… But… Why?"  
"Because I care about _everybody_ in this town," he smiles and with a light blush he adds "…But you are not just anybody… You are Robbie. And…that's why I care _a_ _lot_ …"  
Robbie's head is still spinning. He knows that Sportacus just said something very important, but…he somehow doesn't understand what it's supposed to mean…

"…I…should be going…and let you…sleep in your bed again…alone…" he shifts a little, still tangled up in many blankets and pillows and slightly angry with himself.

He's trying to flee again, he knows that.

And he hates himself for being such a coward.

But he feels too weak to face the truth now.

Whatever it is.

But…he's also still far too weak to get up, as well…

"No!" Sportacus reflexively grabs his shoulders and gently pushes him back into the pillows, his gaze uncharacteristic stern "You will stay until I am completely sure that you are entirely fit and strong again!"  
"Then I guess I'll be staying here forever."  
"I'm serious, Robbie."  
"I know. Me, too," internally, the villain now bites his tongue, clenches his hands into fists and yells at himself for doing it _again_.

But Sportacus isn't upset, at all "Well, you can stay as long as you like…and have to. But for the moment…" he reaches out to grab the plate with the sandwiches and holds it to Robbie with hopeful, begging eyes "…trust me and try some? Please?"  
"…You won't give in until I tried, anyway, will you?!…" the villain can't help a weak smile "…Well… I guess, my bellyache can't possibly become any worse anyway, so… I guess, I can at least try it and get rid of your annoying puppy eyes like this, Sportadog."  
"Thank you!" the hero exhales audibly relieved and smiles even more. Robbie holds in his move to sit up and eyes him again "…You should…not thank me for accepting…your food, I guess… I should be the one, thanking _you_ … So…" he lowers his eyes again and mumbles"…Thank you…"  
"You're welcome. But…" with a light smirk, Sportacus helps the other man to sit up and arranges the pillows for his back, so he can lean on them for support "…I've been thanking you more for trusting me like this now…"  
"…Oh…" Robbie blushes again, but manages another small smile "…Then you're welcome for this, as well… Even…more so…"


	14. Beautiful?!

The sandwiches aren't so bad.

They don't even taste that 'healthy', if Robbie is all honest.

But the taste is only slightly mattering at the moment. What is far more important to the villain is the way Sportacus is watching him eat. The hero even removed the salad and the slices of cucumber from the sandwiches, to make sure, he would actually eat and like them.

And then he sat down at the edge of the bed and Robbie could swear he saw the hero hold his breath during his first two bites. But the moment it became clear to him that Robbie neither started complaining nor got sick again a bright smile settled on his face. And Robbie could also swear this smile is becoming slightly brighter, still.

Once, he's finished the first sandwich, he tilts his head and can barely hide his own smile "What are you looking at, Stalkercus, hm?!"  
"Oh! I'm sorry, Robbie!" the hero blushes heavily with embarrassment "I didn't mean to…"  
"No, it's okay!" assures Robbie quickly, blushing as well, and mumbles "…I was just wondering…whether you actually are as happy about me eating as you appear to be?…"  
"You bet, I am!" Sportacus smiles again and, very carefully, rests a hand on the villain's arm, his voice lowers a little and becomes more serious now "…I was really scared for you, Robbie… I really don't know what…" he interrupts himself and forces another smile instead "But you'll be okay! I'm sure of this! And I'll take care of it!"  
"…I suppose this isn't meant to sound like a threat, is it?!" the villain smirks. He just can't help himself right now. The way Sportacus was and still is looking at him simply started a strange feeling in his stomach again. But a complete different one this time. It's a very light tickle… But maybe, that's just caused by the sandwich!?… Anyway, it feels much nicer than before and he's slightly relieved.

The hero laughs "No, it is not! Oh, and neither is this… **Water!** " he catches the flying bottle without looking at it and smiles gently, holding it to Robbie "…Please?…"  
"Okay, do you _have_ to do this all the time?! Seriously, Sportaflop, someone could get hurt by all these things always flying around!" Robbie crosses his arms again and narrows his eyes "And if I actually stay longer, like you want me to, then this 'someone' is most likely going to be _me_! Not to mention that I always get a small heart attack when you suddenly start yelling like this!"  
"I'm sorry," Sportacus really doesn't want the other to become all sad and negative again, so he smiles apologetically "I'll try not to do this anymore. I promise."  
"Hm… At least…give me a warning before, okay?…" for some reason, Robbie really doesn't want to see Sportacus sad or even concerned at the moment, so he hesitatingly takes the offered bottle and struggles with the cap for a few seconds, before urging himself to take a small sip, his eyes never leaving Sportacus' during this. His gentle, warm, blue eyes simply soothe him, each time, he locks his own with them and he is afraid to lose this comfort again…

He doesn't really notice how long he's already taking sip after sip when the hero suddenly chuckles softly, almost absently. Robbie holds in his move to raise the bottle again and quirks an eyebrow "What's so funny?"  
"Nothing," Sportacus is still smiling brightly without taking his eyes off of the other, watching how his black, tousled, natural hair is falling into the villain's face, now that all this gel, Robbie usually uses to slick it back, is gone, probably mostly washed away by sweat by now, or smeared over the pillows. Despite his still tired eyes, the dried in tear streaks on his face, and his, still with fever, flushed red cheeks, he simply looks incredibly cute…

"…It's just…" the hero smiles and blushes again "…You look so beautiful…"  
Robbie chokes on the last sip he just took and starts coughing violently.

"Robbie!" Sportacus reacts quickly, helps him to lean forward and pats his back with enough force to help him get rid of the water in his lungs again. Robbie takes a long time to recover and when his coughing finally has eased again a heavy silence sets in, because both men are still a little shocked.

"…Why…" when the villain speaks up again there are still tears in his eyes. Whether they're 'just' from coughing the hero can't tell. "…What did you mean?…" he searches Sportacus' eyes again, but the relief and the relaxation in his own is gone now.

"…Well, you of course!…" Sportacus blushes a little again, but he keeps caressing Robbie's back with his hand, rubbing soothing, slow circles in his tensed muscles "I know you still feel quite bad… You're still running a fever, after all! But… I just noticed, I've never before seen your hair this natural and I… I just wanted you to know that I really like it! It fits you. It's not that strict. It's cute and soft… Just like…you…" his voice has gotten lower at the end and he giggles nervously now "I'm sorry! I just… I just wanted to say that you look good, although you're…sick… But I'm…not sure anymore, whether this is any kind of…relief, or… I'm sorry," he shakes his head "Maybe that's the lack of sleep…"  
"…Maybe…" Robbie smiles weakly and hands the bottle back "…But it's…pretty nice of you, to say this, though…"  
"I shocked you so bad, I nearly killed you…"  
"Well, I guess that was more my mistake than yours, Sportaflop," he chuckles "After all, I'm the reason you're getting no sleep tonight, right? Sorry for that by the way…"  
"I already told you I'd do this for you at any time!" Sportacus gently grabs Robbie's hand with his free one and squeezes it. He's incredibly happy that the other hasn't winced anymore at his touch, after he assured him that he would never hurt him. But when he feels Robbie's hot, damp skin beneath his fingers he becomes concerned again "You're still far from being well again… How do you feel?"  
Robbie looks at him for a few seconds, because it still isn't easy for him to accept the fact that Sportacus actually cares so much and wants him to feel good again.

"…I'm cold…" he lowers his eyes and tries to focus on Sportacus' comforting hands.

"That's what I thought…" Sportacus struggles shortly with himself, but then he asks very carefully and softly "…Robbie, I really don't want to make you feel uncomfortable… But could you please take off your clothes? They're not particularly good for keeping you warm, nor are they comfortable. And in case the cramps in your stomach should return, I can't examine you probably when you're wearing them…"

The villain winces and blinks a few times in utter confusion, before stammering "B-But…what…shall I w-wear then? I can't stay here in nothing but my underwear!"  
"No, no, of course not!" Sportacus smiles soothingly, glad that the other takes his plead with relative calmness, despite his fear, then he withdraws his hands to stand up and flip to one of the closets again, returning with a blue pajama "It should fit you. Okay, it may be a little too short in the legs, but otherwise…"  
Robbie, who felt like crying once the soothing hands disappeared, now furrows his brows and tries to find his usual voice again "Not quite my color… These are yours? Strange. I thought you sleep in your costume…"  
"I do."  
"Then why have a pajama?"  
"I…haven't always been doing it like this…"  
"Hm… Then I hope you got a second one, because this suit of yours actually is quite hard to lean on and since we're probably falling asleep on your bed again together, I don't want to wake up with bruises because of this!" he's completely surprised by his own words. But he's tired. And he just understood that he would not be able to sleep again. Not without Sportacus comforting him like he did before…  
Sportacus however feels a happy tingle of excitement in his stomach.

Does that mean Robbie is actually _asking_ him to cuddle him now?!

Finally accepting not only food, water and help, but even the urgently needed physical contact?!

He's so happy he nearly starts crying.

But instead, he smiles warmly and nods "Yes, I have a second one."  
"Well then…" Robbie blushes furiously again, but reaches out to take the clothes "Go and change in the corner or something, please, while I try to change, myself while sitting…"  
"You sure you won't need my help? You're still very weak…"  
"Yes, I know. But…I'll call you, if I need your help, okay?" Robbie smiles soothingly, gently running his fingers over the smooth, soft cloth in his hands "I'll be fine."  
"…All right…" still worried and slightly hesitating, Sportacus nods slowly, before turning around to get the second pajama and change at the opposite end of the airship, facing the wall.

He can barely believe that Robbie suddenly gave in to every single one of his suggestions and advices so quickly, after having so much trouble to do so much as even trust Sportacus enough to let him touch and help him at first. But maybe, he finally understood that Sportacus actually likes and cares about him. That he's worth being loved and cared about. That Sportacus…would do anything for him…

The hero furrows his brows in surprise when he senses that the tingle in his stomach becomes stronger, whenever he thinks about Robbie and the way he just held on to his hand for a moment when Sportacus tried to withdraw it. It has just been a few seconds, but that was long enough to make clear that he didn't want the hero to go… And…Sportacus himself, actually had to force himself to get up at this moment as well, and only managed, because he knew that he'd return to his patient within a blink again… It felt…just strange to let go of Robbie's hand… Unnatural, almost…

Sportacus looks down at his own hand for a moment.

Is it possible…

He hears the thud even before his crystal goes off and twirls around with a terrified yell on his lips " ** _Robbie!_** "


	15. Alone?!

It's dark.

It's cold.

And he's scared.

"…Sportacus?…" Robbie's whisper is strained and barely audible. He pushes himself up on his elbows and looks around, but it's too dark to see anything. He carefully feels the soft surface underneath his back. It's still Sportacus' bed, so he's also still in the airship…

But why is it so dark and cold and…where is Sportacus?…

The hero certainly wouldn't leave him here all alone!

…Would he?…

No!

Robbie squeezes his eyes shut for a moment and shakes his head.

Sportacus was obviously incredible worried that he was sick! …Is sick…

He swallows hard and trembling manages to sit up, rasping softly again "…Sportacus?…"

Once again, he's met with dead silence.

"…Sportacus, please… I-If this is one of your games again…it's really not funny…"

The last time, he woke up here in such darkness, he felt an arm wrapped around his chest and started screaming, because he didn't know who it belonged to.

Now, he would give anything to feel that strong arm again… Or to hear that gentle beat, that must've belonged to the hero's heart…

But there's neither a warmth spending body, nor any form of calming sounds around now… Robbie's head is spinning and he feels incredibly sick, but he forces himself to slide over to the edge of the bed and tries to stand up, his knees wobbly.

"…L-Lights!?…" it's a plead, not an order. But the reply of the computer voice makes clear that that is not the main problem "Unauthorized voice. Order can't be followed."

Robbie feels like crying. But he's too weak _and_ too terrified for that.

Why is he here all alone?

Where is Sportacus?

What…is the last thing he can remember?…

He takes a few too quick breaths in and a few shaky steps forward.

Sportacus…told him that he was…beautiful… He blushes at this even now. Really, what was he thinking?!… And then…he agreed to stay here until he would feel better again and therefore, Sportacus gave him a pajama and even put another one on, himself…

But after that…nothing…

His heart starts beating faster and he feels a sharp pain in his abdomen. With a short groan and a weak whimper, he holds his stomach and doubles over, crying for help "…Sportacus… Please… Where are you?…" He tumbles over to the wall and uses it for support to hold himself upright, despite his increasing pain level. He needs several minutes to reach the cockpit like this, and when he does, he just stares out of the great window a few minutes more, right into black darkness, not able to make out anything.

But then…clouds.

In…front of the ship?!

But Sportacus said that…he _landed_ it!

How…

Realization hits Robbie so hart he gasps out and falls against the wall.

He's completely alone in the airship and which is flying through the air again!

" ** _Please!_** Please, land the ship!!" he slowly slides down the wall, the stone in his stomach growing bigger and heavier with every passing second now.

"Unauthorized command."  
"Sportacus! Please! Help!!" tears are streaming down his face by now and he drops on his knees, sobbing uncontrollably "…You promised not to leave me! Please!!"

Another sharp sting.

This time it sends him lying on the ground in fetal position, still in complete darkness and just whimpering lowly "…Please, Sportacus… Save me…"

But deep down, he knows that the hero isn't coming.

That he actually doesn't care.

That he just tricked Robbie to stay in his airship, so he could send it off, once Robbie was out cold again and get rid of him, forever…

Wait…

That's something… _he_ tried once! So… Is this the hero's revenge now?… Would be just fair…  
Robbie feels dizzy and terrified. He doesn't know where the ship is heading to, but he's sure that he'll die, even on the way there…

He can't take the pain anymore.

He hugs his arms tightly around the knees, he pulled up to his chest and starts to scream…


	16. Hope?!

Robbie's heart is beating too hard and fast beneath the hero's fingers when he brushes them over the heated skin at his chest or neck.

But at least it's beating _at all_ again.

Sportacus feels sick at the mere memory of how he had to reanimate the other a few minutes ago. But he's also incredibly relieved that he remembered exactly what to do, despite his shock and fear for the villain. His mentor warned them that they would need to act reflexively and by heart in such moments, because especially the first time you'd experience quite a shock and would very likely not be able to think properly for too long. He was right. And the fact that it was _Robbie_ he had to reanimate wasn't exactly helping his panic either… For one second he thought that Robbie had 'just' collapsed again, but when his crystal went off, he knew that it was far worse, even before he held two fingers at the other's neck and felt no pulse. It simply felt completely different this time. He had never before felt such energy emanating from the powerful stone. It was unlike anything else he ever felt before…

Just like his fear…

He swallows hard, fighting back the tears by focusing on wrapping his arms around Robbie's chest even tighter, pulling his back even closer against himself, caressing and massaging his bare, sweaty chest and stomach with both hands, then and now raising one of them to feel his forehead, run it through his black hair or gently wipe the new tears off his cheeks. The whole time, he's murmuring encouraging, soothing, promising words that Robbie won't hear. He's gone too far in his hallucinations since the moment his heart started beating again. He's been muttering words of fear at first, but soon they turned into screams, partly of agony, partly of pure fear.

And each time Sportacus heard his name and the begging for him to come back, to not leave him alone again, because he _promised_ …the hero's heart breaks a little bit more and he begs Robbie to wake up again, to see that he _did not_ leave, that he's _right here_ and that he'll _never_ leave him…

But it's useless…

And above all the screams, the begging, the sobbing and the whimpering, sounds the merciless beeping of his crystal, reminding the hero that someone…that Robbie still is in trouble, that he needs his help more urgently than anybody else ever did…

"But what can I _do_?" whispers Sportacus desperately, not able to hold back his own tears any longer, while gently wiping Robbie's away again. He's angry with himself. There must be _something_ he can do to help the villain! _Anything!_ …But he wasn't trained for this. He can do stunts, he can do athletic tricks and all kind of sports. He can even perform some basic and simple medical procedures. He can surely deal with upset stomachs and fevers. He also knows how to talk to depressed, sad, lonely or sick people to make them feel better and encourage them.

But _this_ is different!

 _Robbie_ is different!

It's not 'just' because he's drowning in feverish hallucinations now, not waking up again.

No.

Robbie has so much…pain, so much fear, so much…depression and sadness, bottled up and desperately tried to hide beneath a mask of grumpiness and distance to anybody who might see through this shield… Each time Sportacus tried he failed to get through to him and show him that he would not hurt him if he let him in. He realized that there was just so much even a (slightly above average) hero could do. And he almost gave up hope.

But then he got Robbie's letter yesterday.

And hope returned.

He promised himself not to give in this time. Not to let the villain walk away and flee again, like he usually did. Not to let his respect for Robbie's privacy and secret fears get in the way anymore. He knew that this very likely was his last chance to save this man, he liked so much despite the schemes he always played on the kids and him. He wanted…needed to get him out of his personal hellhole.

And it actually seemed to work. Sure, he was shocked about Robbie's breakdown, but at the same time he became aware of his opportunity and took it with great care to not hurt Robbie even more.

His relief was incredible when it appeared to work, when Robbie stopped flinching away from his gentle touch, when he started to slowly open up to him once he realized that he wanted the hero to stay, by holding on to his hand…

But then everything changed with Robbie's second, sudden, far worse collapse.

Now he's once more believing that he's alone and that nobody cared about him, although it's just his subconscious mind, making this up and turning it into an incredibly strong hallucination as it seems…

"…Robbie, please…" Sportacus bows his head down to carefully nuzzle his own cheek against Robbie's, sobbing lowly "…Tell me how I can get you out of this nightmare again… It's not real! I'm here! I didn't leave you! I never would!" He carefully takes both of the other's damp, shaking, pale hands and rests them onto his stomach to close the hug from behind again, squeezing them gently but firmly. His voice lowers down to a whisper, barely audible under the sounds of the crystal "…I won't give up on you, Robbie. Never. You may still believe that you're not important to anyone, but that's _not_ true! You are incredibly important! The kids learn so much thanks to you and your pranks and they really, really like you, and for them it's like you're playing with them, as well! …And you care about them, as well, I know that… Even though you think you don't know what love and care is…you're expressing and showing it in your own way, ever since!…" the hero closes his eyes, when Robbie cries out again under distress and keeps massaging his abdomen "…Shush… Please, hold on… You _have_ to hold on, Robbie! You… You asked me whether love exists… I know, I said I can't give you an easy answer to this… But I… Robbie, I promise, it truly does! And I…" he looks down at their entwined hands, recalling once more what it felt like when the other has been holding on to him for that short but important moment and his voice breaks "…I can show you… I can prove to you that I'm not lying. Because I… I-I…love you…"


	17. Reality?!

The ship has stopped.

At first Robbie didn't notice, because he's still busy crying and screaming in terror and agony. But when he takes another, weak, stuttering breath in, he notices that it's not moving anymore. Maybe there's just no more wind to toss the airship around like a ball, the kids use to kick around all day?

He forces himself to focus on the movements that don't come from his own trembling body.

No, it's definitely not moving anymore. So… Did it land? And if, where? …Should he strain himself to get up and check? Probably… But does it really matter? Isn't he dying, anyway? He feels like he is… With another whimper, he cracks his eyes open. It's still dark… Or rather dark again? For how long has he been lying here on the floor, anyway? Hours? Days? …He really can't tell… And he can neither tell whether he needs seconds or minutes to gather enough strength to roll onto his back with a loud whine.

Step one.

He takes a shallow breath in and pushes himself to sit up.

Step two.

At once he feels sick and dizzy again, and his arms that keep him upright are shaking violently. His mouth opens on its own account, but nothing comes out. Another tear runs down his cheek. He knows it's useless to call for Sportacus. He isn't here. He won't come to his rescue. Not this time. Not ever again…

Then he startles at a strange noise, coming from the door. His heart sinks and beats faster with the slightest spark of hope at the same time. Maybe…Sportacus just wanted to scare him to teach him a lesson and therefore sent the ship off for a little while, before it returned on its own again? And now, he's…

The door opens. " ** _Lights!_** "

Robbie feels his heart skip a beat and squeezes his eyes shut with a painful yelp at the sudden, stinging brightness invading them now. That's not Sportacus' voice! He's sick and dizzy beyond limits, but he would recognize the hero's voice in every condition, as long as his mind is functioning more or less normal. That voice now was far too rough and hard and mean and…cold…

"There he is! Get him to the judge at once! The elders want his case closed tonight!"

Strong arms grab Robbie's and pull him onto his legs, even before the villain gets the meaning of these words. He cries out in pain at the sudden movement and forces his eyes open. His vision is blurry for a few seconds, but then he recognizes a face of an old man…

No… Not just any face… A painful sharp sting rushes through his chest when realization hits him and he gasps out "…Nine…"

"Hello, Robbie. Didn't expect to meet me again, did you?!" the gleeful sneer on Nine's lips is still the same, Robbie knew and feared as a kid.

"…W-Why…"

"We send somebody to get you. You're too dangerous for your town to let us allow you to stay there any longer. Ten took longer than we expected him to, but in the end he obviously caught and sent you here. Now you're going to be punished. After our judge has seen you, of course. But that's only a matter of…"

" ** _No!_** " Robbie feels the pain in his stomach and chest becoming worse again, but he instinctively tries to struggle against the strong grips of the two guards restraining him "No! Sportacus didn't send me here! He assured me he never would! He stayed in LazyTown because he knew he couldn't return without me! You're lying!!"

"He eventually realized his mistake. That's why you're here now," Nine laughs out "Did you _actually_ believe that he _cared_?! That _anybody_ cares about someone like _you_?! You're nothing but a failure and a villain! A bad one, even! No one in LazyTown will miss you! Take him away."

"…No…" Robbie feels his strength fading completely now and once the guards loosen their grip on him the tiniest bit, he drops down on his knees and buries his face in his hands, sobbing lowly "No… Sportacus wouldn't do that! He just… He wouldn't! You're lying! He…" when he feels his cold hands touching his hot cheeks he suddenly remembers the way Sportacus held his hand. "…He…wanted me to…become healthy again… He…held my hand and tried to soothe me. He… He **_cares_**!" he swallows hard and raises his eyes again, trying to steady his breathing while giving Nine the most determined stare he manages, despite his pain and fear "…And he did **_not_** send me here! He **_promised_** me to not leave me alone! I don't know what happened and why I'm here, but…"

"He doesn't care about you!"

"Yes, he **_does_**! This isn't… This isn't **_real_**!" he clenches his hands into fists and closes his eyes, trying to focus on what he knows _certainly_ is real and what he remembers _before_ he woke up here all alone.

He was changing clothes… Sportacus wanted him to wear something more comfortable… One of his…pajamas… And he…had already changed his pants when he suddenly…felt incredibly sick and then…nothing…

"…I…know what's going on…" he breathes in "…It's only a dream…"

"Robbie Rotten. You will be sentenced, no matter what! Take him away!"

Robbie feels the hands on his arms again and cries out at the touch, but he whimpers lowly to remind himself "It's a nightmare! I'm just dreaming! No one is going to hurt me! I-I'm with Sportacus! He _must_ be here! Please! Please…"

The two hands on his arms move to wrap around his chest from behind now.

Gently.

Robbie feels as if the last bit of strength is drained from him, his eyes fall shut and he knows that he would fall forward if it wasn't for these gentle, warm hands…

They're carefully massaging his abdomen and chest now - skin on skin. He's just wearing pajamas…

And there's a voice.

A warm, gentle, soothing but clearly afraid voice "…Robbie… Please… Wake up…"

He slowly opens his eyes.

He's still in the airship.

But not on the ground anymore.

A low whimper escapes him when he takes a labored breath in "…Sportacus…"

"I'm here, Robbie. Please, I don't know whether you can hear me, but…"

"Sportacus," it takes a lot of energy, he isn't even sure he has, but he moves his head a little to be able to look up and into these blue, exhausted, incredibly worried but now also confused and even slightly relieved eyes "…Sportacus… You…didn't leave me…alone in here… Did you?…"

"Robbie! You're back!" the hero turns pale as ash for a moment, but then he appears to start crying and laughing at the same time and he tightens his hug around the villain, nuzzling his face against Robbie's cheek, almost sobbing "No! I didn't! And I never would! Oh, Robbie! You… What happened? What… You've been hallucinating for four hours! I thought…" he breaks up into another sob. Robbie nods weakly "…Yeah… Me too…" he feels Sportacus' hands that are holding on to his own, tightly but carefully and squeezes them probably barely noticeably.

But Sportacus does notice. And he returns the squeeze, whispering once more "…I didn't leave you…"

"…I know… You…care…" the villain manages a weak smile, knowing that the hero is going to sense this, since he's still pressing their cheeks together "…And that knowledge…is what just kept me alive, I guess…" he thinks he's too weakened to blush meanwhile, and his face still is heated up with fever, anyway, so he can as well be honest now "…Sportacus… I was so scared. I… I thought you left me in the airship and sent it off to your people and…everything hurt… But when Nine came to take me to their judge, he told me that you…don't care about me and then I…realized that this wasn't real and…managed to wake up again…" Robbie is crying again now at the memory of this. But he's not entirely sure whether it's not a little bit out of relief, as well.

A few seconds pass.

Sportacus doesn't say anything, he just gently rubs small circles in the back of Robbie's hands. "…I shouldn't have told you any of that… I knew that it would scare you… But I…" the hero swallows hard "…I wouldn't have thought that it would cause you to have such horrible hallucinations… I'm so sorry, Robbie! That's all my fault! I…"

"No. It is not," Robbie turns his face away so he loses the contact with the hero's cheek and more tears stream down his face "It's my fault. I… I'm a mess!"

"What?! No! Robbie…"

"Yes, I _am_! And you know it! You care for me, yes. You pity me, because I can't get anything right! I even nearly die because of stupid hallucinations, caused by stupid fever, caused by my stupid inability to take care of myself!" he withdraws his hands and brings them up to cover his face, wishing for nothing more than to disappear and not bother the hero anymore, but can't possibly strain himself with any other movements than this one. He sobs breathlessly "…Just take me home and leave me be! Nine was right, I am no good! You do care about me, but this is _wrong_! You shouldn't… And I shouldn't let you… I deserve…"

"Robbie!" interrupts Sportacus suddenly firmly, one hand gently covering the villain's mouth now, and he takes a deep breath, before he continues softly "…Please, listen closely now… Nine was _not_ right. You are not 'bad'! And you _don't_ deserve whatever my people would do to you! And…" his hand moves from Robbie's mouth to his forehead and he gently brushes some sweaty hair out of his face, before feeling the hot skin once more "…you're _sick_. You need rest. You need care. You need…" hesitatingly, the hero leans closer again and places a very soft, very short kiss on Robbie's temple "…love."

Robbie winces at the kiss, but tries to wrap his mind around the strange, new feeling at once. Sportacus gives him time to progress this, gently starting to run his hands over the other's arms again, trying to soothe him.

Suddenly, but not entirely unexpected, Robbie bursts out into new tears and violent sobs, chest erupting with the effort to take in enough air, and he tries to double over again.

But Sportacus doesn't let him.

Instead, he gently guides his body until the villain is lying on his side now, his upper body completely rested on the hero's chest.

"…Shush… It's okay, Robbie. Everything will be all right again, soon, I promise! Just breathe. In and out. Nobody will be able to hurt you again. In no way. I'm here. I will protect you. Even from yourself, if necessary… You are no mess, Robbie. You are wonderful, just the way you are. And I will prove it to you, if you just let me… Please… Don't give up now…"

The villain doesn't think, he just buries his face against Spartacus' strong, muscular, yet soft neck and whimpers lowly "…Is this real now?…"

"Yes," the hero gently caresses his head and cheek with one hand and his back with the other, murmuring lowly and encouragingly, but with a thick lump in his throat "Yes, it is…"


	18. Confessions?!

Robbie's whimpering and sobbing has died down and the only evidence left of his minutes of crying is a soft hiccup.

Sportacus keeps caressing the villain's head and cheeks and rubbing soothing circles in his back while murmuring low, encouraging words into his ear "…Shush… Try to breathe slowly. You're doing great, Robbie. Really."

"H-Huh?!" whimpers the other again, his face still buried against the hero's neck, his voice therefore muffled, but his confusion though audible "…W-What…do you mean? Look at me! I-I am nothing but pathetic and weak!…"

"That's not true. Robbie…" Sportacus stills his hand in the villain's hair for a moment, his voice becoming slightly firmer, although it remains gentle "…You fought off your hallucinations. All alone. Aren't you aware of how incredible that is?! You managed to distinguish a real seeming nightmare from reality! Although you must've been terrified! You were incredible brave and…"

"Sportacus," interrupts Robbie lowly and takes a shuddering breath in while the hero can sense how the muscles in his back tense up even more again "…If you had not made me realize how much you actually care about me, I would still be stuck in this nightmare by now. Nothing I did was in any way remarkable. _You_ saved me. As always."

Sportacus just stares down at him for a moment and his voice breaks a little "…Is that…really what you believe?…"

"It's the truth."

"…You don't know how wrong you are…" the hero feels new tears coming up, but he tries to fight them "I was scared, Robbie! Terrified! Because I wasn't able to do _anything_ to help you! I reanimated you, but after that, all I could do was sit here and beg you to wake up again!" He can sense Robbie is lightly moving his head as if he wants to shake it. Then the villain mutters weakly "…You just mentioned that you reanimated me and yet you claim that you're not the hero this time? Are you sure, my fever isn't contagious?"

Sportacus is about to contradict, but then Robbie suddenly trembling raises a hand from where it has been rested on the hero's chest, and he instinctively takes it in his own, squeezing it gently.

"…Please, Sportacus… I…don't want to fight or argue… Not now… I… I'm…glad that you're there for me… That I'm here with you… And I…" he presses his face even closer against the hero's neck and returns the gentle squeeze of their hands "…I would have never thought that…" he breaks up and blushes. Sportacus notices this and smiles softly. He is glad that Robbie doesn't look up to see his own blush when he suddenly wonders whether the other subconsciously heard his love confession a few hours ago and if so, whether he is going to remember again… Maybe he should…tell him again now? He…promised to explain love to him after all… His eyes roam Robbie's still slightly shivering, from fever and pain suffering body… Later, he decides after coming to the conclusion that it would do no good to stress the sick man even further with even more new sensations and emotions.

"…You're right. I'm sorry. I didn't want to put you under any pressure. I just wanted you to know that I believe you very strong and brave."

"…Don't you believe, everybody is, Motivatacus?…" mumbles Robbie weakly, but the hero though can sense his smile against his neck. And he smiles relieved at this, as well, because he knows that the villain must be feeling slightly better, since he's calling him nicknames again. He continues with his gentle touches again, his voice a soft whisper "…Yes… And that includes you. Especially you, Robbie. Please, try to believe me that, as well."

"…Well… The last thing I believed you literally saved my life, so…I'll try…" it probably was supposed to sound joking, but both men notice that it came out dead serious. And neither of them is sure how to feel about this…

 "…Robbie, I know you're scared…" the hero doesn't feel comfortable with what he's going to say next, but he's still scared for the other's life "…but as soon as you've rested a little, I'm going to take you to a real doctor. I have to."

"What?!" Robbie yanks his head up and he looks into Sportacus' gentle, soothing, blue eyes, his own reflecting fear "But you promised…"

"Yes, but I said 'if your condition doesn't get any worse'. And you nearly _died_!" the hero struggles to not let his emotions get in the way of his attempts to soothe the villain "…Robbie, you _are_ worse now than when I brought you here. Far worse… And you know that."

"I thought you promised to not leave me alone!?" Robbie starts to writhe, trying to free himself from the hero's embrace and sit up, but he's too weak for that, so he just sobs lowly and starts hitting his flat hand on Sportacus' chest "You promised!"

"I won't! Robbie, please…" the hero barely registers the weak hits, but he doesn't want Robbie to exhaust himself even more like this "Stop it. Please, try to understand that this is necessary. I probably should've taken you there at once after your second collapse, but I… I sensed that you needed my…consolation even more…"

"I still do!" it's obvious that Robbie is beyond caring about any embarrassing confessions now. He can scold himself later for this…

"And you will have it. I swear! I won't leave your side! Not for one second! I will protect you!" Sportacus carefully sits up now and gently pries the villain away from his chest, ignoring the almost painful whine, coming from him at this, and gently holds the trembling body upright, one hand at his waist, the other on his shoulder, then he searches his eyes "…We need to find out what is wrong with you. But we need a real doctor for that."

"But my fever isn't that high anymore!" Robbie struggles with his voice, wanting it to sound edgy again instead of this fragile and broken.

"Robbie, you were in incredible pain. You were suffering from hallucinations for four hours. If this happens again…"

"I can handle it!"

"Robbie…"

"No. I'm serious," the villain swallows hard, lowers his eyes uneasily and mumbles "…I'm…used to this…"


	19. Explanations!?

'I'm used to this.'

These four words hit Sportacus unlike anything he's ever heard before.

It feels like someone just stabbed a knife right through his heart, and he's so shocked he nearly lets go of the other man who's trying to look anywhere but at the hero now

"…What…" Sportacus is surprised about his own hoarse voice, but he couldn't care less right now "…What do you mean… You're used to it? Used to _what_?"

"…Hallucinations…" the word is barely more than a whisper, and Robbie crosses his arms in front of his still bare chest, his eyes fixed at the white wall behind Sportacus.

"…You… Are you saying that…this wasn't the first time you…"

"Usually, they aren't that bad, okay!" the villain is still too weak to sound convincingly annoyed and stubborn, but he frowns "I can handle them just fine! I can differ between reality and hallucination!"

"But… This time it was different… Wasn't it?…" asks Sportacus carefully, his hand on Robbie's shoulder slowly moves down his arm and he feels the Goosebumps on his skin, despite he's still hot to touch because of his fever. Robbie's eyes shortly flicker to the hero's travelling hand and for some reason, he calms down a bit and the forced edge disappears from his voice and leaves it openly weak "…Yes… Usually there are certain hints that show me that what I see or hear or feel is not real… Like…an object in a wrong color. My favorite chair was yellow once… I'm not sure why it's like that… Maybe, my mind offers me a chance to escape these nightmares to help me… I really don't know. However, this time…there was no such obvious hint. It was… _real_ real this time. If it had not been for your promise before…I wouldn't have been able to snap out of it again, I guess. Probably…because of the fever…" he swallows hard but lets the hero's hand gently unfold his arms again, so he can take one of his cold ones and squeeze it gently "…Sportacus…"

"Yes?"

"…Can I…have the top of the pajama?… I feel cold…" he raises his gaze and looks into the other's gentle, blue eyes again.

"Of course! I'm sorry, I totally forgot! Here, let me just…" Sportacus blushes a little and carefully eases Robbie back into the pillows, before he jumps up from the bed and flips over it to retrieve the clothes from the small table where he put it after lifting the unconscious villain from the ground over four hours ago. He shudders again at the memory of this, but turns around to look at Robbie on the bed again, the top now in his hands. He wants to help him put it on, but he can't push himself to move "…Since when are you…experiencing these hallucinations?…"

Robbie sighs lowly. He knew that the hero won't quit asking questions about this topic now. But at least he put his mind off of taking him to a doctor with this…for the moment…

"…Since I was a kid. I can't remember not having them."

"How often?"

"…Small ones…about three or four times a week. Usually at night. That's why I don't sleep well… But there are times when I can go weeks without having even one, as well. The past week for example…" a weak smiles washes over his lips, when he notices Sportacus frown at this "…I know what you're thinking. That was probably because I didn't sleep. And you're right I guess… Whatever. Sometimes…I get stronger ones… Three, up to five times a year, I'd say… They last longer. It's a little bit harder to identify them… And when I manage to get back into reality I'm exhausted and tend to fall sick easily… But none of these has ever been as horrible and…clear as the one tonight…" his voice trails off and he just looks at the hero who hasn't moved a single muscle during his explanation. Now Sportacus slowly shakes his head "…Why didn't you tell me sooner about this? I would've tried to help you, Robbie!"

"You really have other things to do than helping your _enemy_! Besides…" the villain, still sitting, propped up by the pillows in his back, looks down at his own, nervously flexing hands "…there's nothing you could've done…or you could do… I'm fine."

"I would've been there for you, Robbie!" contradicts the hero firmly "Like I try to be now! But you have to _let_ me!"

"You really shouldn't worry so much, Sportaflop. I can take care of myself," Robbie's voice is soft, not angry or annoyed, just still audibly exhausted.

"I don't understand why my crystal never went off when you had such an attack before! It did when you collapsed and it did not stop when your heart started beating again," murmurs Sportacus more to himself when he now slides a hand on Robbie's back to lift him away from the pillows a bit to help him put on the pajama top "…I've never before felt such a power coming from it…"

"Maybe it's broken. Wouldn't be the first thing I destroy with my mere presence…" Robbie smiles wryly, feeling the fabric, now covering his chest, with his fingers while Sportacus gently tugs at the sleeves of the pajama, because they're a little too short for the villain's arms. When he hears these words that are clearly more than a light joke he searches Robbie's eyes and explains lowly but intensely "You did not break it. And you're not destroying anything with your presence, Robbie. Stop pulling yourself down like that."

"You can't pretend it's not correct, though," Robbie's smile grows sad "Most things that I touch break sooner or later… Even my own inventions… _Especially_ my own inventions…"

"Robbie…"

"No. Don't even try it, Sportaflop! This is nothing to argue about!"

"But you…"

"Quit it!" snaps Robbie now more desperate than anything else and gasps shortly for breath in the next second, squeezing his eyes shut for a moment, fighting back a sudden sickness. "Okay. Sorry!" Sportacus notices the other's clenched fists at once, and quickly, gently eases him back down completely before resting one hand on his chest and the other against his hot cheek "Shush. Easy. Take a deep breath…"

"…I didn't…want your help…" rasps Robbie lowly and opens his eyes again to look at the hero. "…What?…"

"…I don't…have much control over myself during these hallucinations or nightmares or whatever they are… But I never wanted anybody to see me like this. Especially not you… Maybe that's why your crystal didn't go off… Not until tonight…because this time I begged you to come and help me… And until tonight I haven't been in any real trouble or danger because of this, anyway…"

"But my crystal doesn't care whether a person _wants_ help or not. It shows me the person that _needs_ help, no matter what! And it even goes off when somebody has an _ordinary_ nightmare! What you got is much, much worse, Robbie!" Sportacus shakes his head again "No, there has to be a different explanation for this…" he searches Robbie's gaze once more and notices the new sweat building on his forehead "…But we can think about this later on, if you feel more up to it… For now try to relax and sleep some more. Okay?"

"…I don't…think I can sleep yet…"

"But you look exhausted."

"…I am…" Robbie shivers and wraps his arms around himself "…But I also feel…sick…" he lowers his eyes again and mumbles "…I'm sorry, Sportacus… I'm nothing but trouble. Nine was right, after all…"

"Nine is an egoistic and narcissistic _Asni_ most of the time!" growls Sportacus suddenly completely uncharacteristic. Robbie winces and stares at him with huge eyes "He's a _what_?"

Sportacus returns his look for a moment still frowning, before he suddenly blushes heavily and chews his bottom lip, murmuring "…I'm sorry… Asni… That…was Icelandic and means…"

"Asshole."

"Idiot!" corrects the hero quickly, blushing even worse, before it's his turn to stare at the other in confusion "…You… Does that mean you…talk _Icelandic_?!"

"More understand than talk, actually…" now Robbie blushes, as well "I was born there, but my parents then moved here, when I was four years old… I can't remember why. But we…always talked both, English and Icelandic at home, since my mother was born in LazyTown… That's why we moved back to her birth town when we left Iceland. And then we quitted talking Icelandic at all and I forgot how to actually communicate in this language, although I still understand most of it… And when I was young, it influenced me so much I carried away this slight accent…" Robbie breathes in. Talking was exhausting, but though it somehow felt good to tell somebody all this. No… Not just anybody. The man who has shown so much interest in his wellbeing and causes this strange feeling in his stomach for quite some time now…

Sportacus tilts his head. He's torn between asking Robbie more questions about his family, he frowned about just several hours earlier, and what exactly he has been through because of Number Nine, his precursor. But when he realizes that Robbie's trembling has become even worse and that his hands are on their way to hold his stomach again, he decides against both options. Instead, he just smiles softly, shortly squeezes Robbie's hands and turns around to grab the bowl and the rag and walk over to his water supply to get a fresh bowl of it, along with another bottle to drink.

"You're…not leaving now, too, are you?!" whimpers Robbie suddenly lowly, when for a split second, it looks as if the hero would head for the door. Sportacus freezes in his move and looks back at the villain to ask what 'too' is meaning in this sentence, but when he meets the other's terrified gaze, his heart breaks too much to say any more than "Of course not. I promised you something, remember?"

Robbie nods weakly, not really relaxed and Sportacus can sense his eyes fixed at his back, while he's working. Only when he's standing next to the bed again and puts everything on the table, the villain sighs audibly and flattens his hands again that have been gripping the blankets tightly. The hero takes in every detail of the other's behavior and prepares an imaginary checklist of what he is going to ask Robbie questions about once he's all fit again.

What he will become! Sportacus won't let anything else happen!…

"…Here, is this okay?…" his voice is soft and low when he carefully places the damp cloth on Robbie's hot forehead.

"…Hm…" the villain nods once, very weakly and exhales slowly through his mouth, closing his eyes "…Are you…coming?…" he weakly gestures at the empty space next to himself, blushing only slightly now "…I still feel cold…"

Sportacus smiles relieved, does another flip to get back on the other side of the bed and quickly slips under the cover, next to Robbie. He turns on his side, propping his head up in one hand while he places his other carefully on Robbie's stomach to pick up the usual, gentle massage there. Robbie smiles weakly and murmurs "…I'm sorry, I'm blocking your bed… You'll be tired in the morning… And the kids…"

"Robbie," interrupts Sportacus him softly "Stop worrying. Stop blaming yourself. Breathe. Relax. I'm here. And I won't leave you until you're much, much better again. Do you understand?"

A weak nod.

"Good… Are you in pain again?…"

A pause.

"Robbie?"

"…A little maybe… It's okay."

"No, it's not. But it will be again, soon. But be completely honest with me from now on, okay? Tell me at once, if you hurt worse or feel funny in any way that could hint on another attack of your hallucinations. Do you promise?"

"…I promise…" Robbie knows that he stands no chance against the hero's protective determination, but right now…he feels grateful for this "…Sportacus…"

"Hm?"

"…Thank you…"

Sportacus smiles softly, then he quickly bows forward to place a very gentle, very short kiss on the villain's cheek "You're welcome, Robbie."


	20. Cuddling?!

Robbie holds his breath when he feels Sportacus soft lips on his cheek.

It's just for a second…

But the tingling sensation of the ghostly kiss lasts even when the hero has long pulled back again already.

The villain feels his face heating up even more, but he's too confused to say anything.

"…Can we turn off the lights?…" Sportacus' voice is soft and calm and he doesn't stop his gentle, massaging touches on Robbie's stomach. Acting, as if the light kiss didn't happen. Maybe that was just another hallucination? No. Definitely not. Robbie swallows thickly and repeats the mantra in his head over and over again 'It was just a kiss on the cheek. It means nothing. He only wants me to feel cared about. Yes, that's it. Nothing more.', but when he speaks he though can't help a light stammering "Y-Yes… Yes, yes! Of course… Sleep. I mean… We should…sleep… R-Right!?…"

"Yes. You need rest. But if you feel uncomfortable, tell me at once. Is this position okay for you to sleep?"

Robbie nods barely noticeably. He can't push himself to speak again. His stomach is fluttering again and the gentle massage of the hero isn't helping, either. But at the same time, he doesn't want him to stop under any circumstances…

"Okay. Lights out!"

Just seconds after the hero's order they're surrounded by darkness.

And Robbie can't help it.

He tenses up and holds his breath. He's not afraid of the dark. More on the contrary. He's always been someone who favors the night over the day. But at this moment, at this place, the black in front of his eyes feels suffocating…

"Robbie? Hey…"

The hand moves from his stomach upwards to rest on the left side of his chest and the villain can't help a low whimper, although he knows that it belongs to Sportacus.

"Shush… It's okay, Robbie. It's me. Breathe. You don't have to be afraid. Nobody will harm you, I swear!" sounds Spartacus' calming, low voice while he keeps caressing the heated skin beneath the fabric of the pajama, and after a short pause, he adds "…This is real!… Okay?…"

Robbie gasps for breath once more, but then he nods weakly and rasps "Yes, I… I know… I'm sorry. I just…"

"Don't apologize. Just tell me, if there's anything I can do to help you calm down a little again?" Sportacus stills his hand "…Shall I rather not…"

"No! I mean, don't stop! I-I mean…" Robbie's hands have both darted to the hero's to grab it and keep it from pulling away, he blushes even worse now, but luckily the hero won't be able to see this thanks to the darkness. His voice breaks a little "…Please don't…take your hands away… It's… As long, as I can feel your…touch I feel…save… I won't slip into another hallucination that easily again I guess…" he swallows dryly "…I'm sorry… This sounds stupid. I should probably…"

The last part of his sentence gets stuck in his throat when there's suddenly Sportacus second arm, slipping past his back within a blink, and the next moment he gets turned on his side and pulled flush against the hero, so his forehead is now resting against the other's chest, the damp cloths squished in between them. The strong arms of Sportacus are tightly but gently wrapped around him, one hand drawing soothing circles in the tensed muscles of his back, the other softly massaging his scalp. Robbie feels like a whole world is crashing down on him, but in an incredibly good way and his head is slightly spinning. He needs a moment to find his voice again, and even then it's barely more than a whisper "Sp-Sportacus… W-What are you…doing?…"

"Hm… Since you said that my touch soothes you and helps you stay in reality…I figured the more I touch you, the better… Or is this too much? Do you feel uncomfortable?" the hero's voice is soft. Pulling the villain this close was an instinct action. Knowing that barely ten hours ago, Robbie was still flinching under the lightest touch lets the hero fear that he might scare him off again with too much closeness now, so he wants his friend to understand that he's not pushing him.

"…N-No…" Robbie breathes in deeply and when he exhales again a great amount of tension leaves his body and his voice becomes slightly more confident "No. It…feels nice… But…the rag… It will soak your pajama top…"

"That's okay. Don't worry about it," Sportacus smiles into the darkness and bows his own head to place another light kiss on Robbie's hair this time, murmuring lowly "Sleep now. I will watch over you. And I won't leave. Remember what I promised. You're not alone, Robbie. Not anymore…" Sportacus can't help a hard swallow now, himself, but he manages to still let his voice sound calming "…And you'll never be again…"

Robbie hears these words and a few tears roll down his hot cheeks again, but he smiles weakly and relaxes into the cuddle. His fear of sleeping and possible new hallucinations coming along with it drowns in the steady heartbeat he can hear coming from the hero, his careful, but gentle touches and his warm scent, he inhales with each breath now. He can't really sort in what the other smells of in this moment…

For him, it's simply Sportacus.

And with this the reassurance of his protecting presence.

And that's more than he ever hoped to get…


	21. Secrets?!

The night is long over and has made room for a new morning.

That's the first thing Sportacus realizes when he opens his eyes with a small yawn.

The next fact catching his attention is that it though isn't as bright in the airship as it uses to be at this time of day and the next second he can already hear the raindrops splashing against the outside of his home.

Usually he'd feel a little disappointed when he understands that the day will be rainy. Probably too rainy for the kids to play outside. But today is different…

His eyes roam Robbie's relaxed body. The other is still cuddled up close to him and he can feel the steady heaving and sinking of his chest against his hand still resting on the villain's back. Robbie's hands are lightly holding on to the hero's pajama top as if he wants to make sure that he isn't leaving him after all. The damp cloth on his forehead has actually soaked through Sportacus' top, but it feels warm meanwhile and therefore he still doesn't really care…

He can't help a soft, happy smile, although he can still feel the heat coming from the other's body, proving that his fever still hasn't ceased one bit. But at least Robbie slept peacefully through this part of the night… Sportacus gently starts caressing the villain's head again, extracting a soft noise from him.

It's a very low humming, almost edging into a purr.

The hero's smile brightens and his heart does a small, happy jump. Robbie simply looks incredibly cute when he's sleeping this peacefully and this sound only adds to his appearance. It makes Sportacus wish to be able to watch him sleep like this every morning, to hold and cuddle him and help him realize that he's not alone. On the contrary. The hero would do anything for him!

But at exactly this thought Sportacus' heart grows heavy again, because it reminds him that Robbie isn't here, because Sportacus told him how he feels about him and he shares these feelings, but because he's still very sick and needs his care. And this leads straight to the question whether the hero's care actually will be enough to help Robbie becoming all healthy again. He still doesn't know what is wrong with him after all. So he should take him to a doctor as soon as possible! But…why does his instinct still reject this obviously right decision?

…Maybe…because something about Robbie's symptoms simply doesn't seem right? Sportacus is no doctor, of course, but he does now a lot about illnesses, injuries and medicine in general. It was his second favorite class at school, right after health education (and yes, even before P.E., because as much as he loves to move around all the time, it was _not_ his favorite class during his time at school). And the way Robbie has described his hallucinations and how the last one came along with his fever and stomach cramps…

It's just strange…

And adding to these doubts comes Robbie's obvious fear of doctors. What if he'll only make it worse by taking him to a real physician? And with this very likely also lose his trust again he managed to build up during the past half a day?

He sighs lowly. He's used to facing problems and fixing things. But this situation now… He knows that he's letting this get to him on a level where it becomes difficult, if not even impossible to remain objective about Robbie's condition. But how could he _not_ feel horrible and scared, himself, when someone he likes so much is involved?! …He never understood… That's why most of his teachers always told him that he'd never graduate and become a hero.

But he did.

And then he was send to LazyTown to capture this man and take him back to his people to be punished.

But he couldn't.

Because he instantly felt that Robbie is not evil. On the contrary… And now he realized that he…fell in love with him. He's not sure when exactly, nor how. But…he is sure that this emotion sparkling in his chest each time he does so much as look at Robbie, is love.

A love, that goes beyond pure friendship…

"…Oh, Robbie…" he swallows hard and runs his hands through his hair and over his back again, before he places a long, soft kiss on his hair and tries to shift away from him.

At once, he's met by a low but heartbreaking whimper and the grip on his shirt tightens "…Sportacus…"

The hero freezes in his move.

"…Shush…" he quickly pulls the villain closer again and nuzzles his nose into his hair, murmuring "I'm here. It's okay…"

"…Hm…" Robbie moves his head, the cloth drops down on the bed and he mumbles once more "…Sportacus?…"

"Yes," the hero smiles softly, although he knows the other can't see it "…Are you awake, Robbie?…"

"…No, I sleeptalk," grumbles the villain and sighs lowly "Silly question, Sportagoof…"

"I'm sorry," he chuckles and strokes through the black hair once more "…So… May I get up? I want to prepare some breakfast. You need to eat…"

"It's your bed. Of course, you can get up," mumbles Robbie, but without loosening his grip on the other's top one bit "…But I'm not hungry…"

"But you _have_ to eat!" carefully, Sportacus removes the villain's hands, ignoring his half suppressed whine for the moment, and makes sure that his patient is lying comfortably propped up by the pillows, then he jumps out of bed and turns to look at him with a serious gaze " _Especially_ if you don't want me to take you to a doctor right away!"

"That's blackmailing!" Robbie quirks a brow, a light smile tugging at his lips "Should I feel proud now that you've learned something from me?"

"I'm serious, Robbie. This isn't for joking!" Sportacus crosses his arms "I'm really worried about you!"

"…Yeah, I… I know…" Robbie looks away uneasily, his voice low "…But you're wasting your time…"

"Why do you keep saying that?! Robbie!" Sportacus kneels back down at the edge of the bed and takes both of the other's shaking hands in his own, searching his eyes "Don't you understand that… That I… That you're incredibly important to me?! Since you are so sick I feel horrible! I try to figure out how to help you, but for the first time in my life I feel completely powerless and scared and desperate! Please…" he lets go of Robbie's left hand to cup his cheek instead, barely noticing his own tears before they start running down his face "…You're so pale… Robbie, if you know or have any idea what could be wrong with you, you _have_ to tell me! Now!"

Robbie breathes in. He struggles to not lose himself entirely in the touch of the hero.

"…You…have to be more careful…" his voice is low and strained.

"…What?…"

"…I guess, you've lost this during your sleep…" a very weak, wry smile washes over the villain's lips when his free, left hand now blindly reaches for something next to him and then holds it up, next to his face and into the hero's view "…Next time this might happen when somebody else is around who isn't me and therefore might become quite surprised, not to say…shocked…"

Sportacus stares at the item in the other's hand and the next second he's sure he becomes just as pale as Robbie, and his voice threatens to stop working when he now rasps "…You… You already…knew?!…"

"I'm your declared archenemy. Of course, I knew!" he chuckles weakly and shrugs "…It wasn't _that_ hard, actually… Sugar meltdowns, always moving, flipping, jumping around, a magic crystal, living in an airship, this ridiculous hat… And come on, your Icelandic accent! You know, I don't remember too much about my own birthplace, but there are some stories about your folk, I _do_ remember hearing from my mother!…" his smile drops a little, and he lowers his hand again.

A long pause follows during which neither of them moves a muscle.

"…You're not…staring at them…" murmurs the hero suddenly weakly.

"Why should I?" Robbie blinks puzzled and smiles, lightly confused "I told you, I knew before…"

"Yeah, but… At school they told us…everybody would stare…"

"Well, I don't think staring is very polite," a nervous chuckle "…Besides… Right now I'm busy staring into your eyes, am I not?!" He blushes. Sportacus blushes as well, but more out of joy than embarrassment. He isn't entirely sure what to make of this, but he feels a great tension falling off of him, of which existence he wasn't even aware before.

"…So… Since you knew… Why haven't you ever told anybody or used this knowledge against me?…" more absently, he caresses Robbie's cheek with his thumb, still without breaking their eye contact. "I'm a villain. But not cruel. I…sensed that you had your reasons not to tell anybody… Not even the brats. I…" now Robbie shifts a little uneasy "…What you said yesterday… About me… That I never really wanted you to leave or to get rid of you…was true, I guess… I…" he breaks up and swallows hard. Then he suddenly gently pushes Sportacus' hands off, puts his hat in one of them and turns his face away from him, his eyes squeezed shut.

"…Robbie?…" puzzled, Sportacus quickly puts his hat on again, covering his slightly pointed ears with it, before he carefully brushes a few strains of hair out of the villain's face and notices the tears rolling down his cheeks "Robbie, what's wrong? Why are you crying?"

The other opens one eye to look at him again "…Why are _you_ crying, Sportacare?…"

"Because I'm worried! And…confused and desperate…" Sportacus shrugs helplessly. "…Yeah… Me, too…" Robbie wipes his face and sniffs lowly "…See….When you're the villain, you're supposed to cause trouble and keep the hero busy…but not like _this_!…" a weak, strained laugh "You care for me more than anybody else ever did! And this feels so…incredibly wrong on one hand but…even more incredibly good on the other! I… I don't know what I'm supposed to _do_!" The laugh turns into a sob and he buries his face into his hands.

"…Nothing…"

"H-Huh?…"

"You don't have to do _anything_ , Robbie. Except of accepting my help and…following my suggestions at best so you can become all healthy again," the hero's gentle smile is audible.

"B-But…"

"No. No buts," Sportacus sits down sideways on the bed now and carefully grabs Robbie's hands again to pull them away from his face and squeeze them gently "All you _really_ have to do is trust me, Robbie. And…that shouldn't be that hard, right? I mean…I trust _you_!"

"…Really?…"

"Of course! I have every reason to! Look, you've even kept my secret for all these years! Stop telling yourself, that you don't deserve my care, trust and love! You do!" Sportacus is talking without really thinking about it before now "Not just because you're no real villain, but because you're an amazing person and there isn't anybody else who makes me feel so happy when he's smiling for once, not looking so sad and depressed anymore!"

He breathes in.

Just now he notices Robbie's stunned…or rather shocked expression.

And then, it hits him what he just said and his face turns dark red "…Oh…"


	22. Proof?!

Robbie feels an enormous tightness spreading in his chest and he can't breathe anymore.

"…I…hate you!…" his voice is barely more than a strained whisper and the next second he breaks into tears and violent sobs. Vaguely, he notices that Sportacus winces and pulls his hands back, before he stammers "…I-I'm…so sorry, Robbie! I… I didn't mean to… Please, forgive me! I…"

"Not _you_!" whines the villain lowly and grabs fistfuls of his own hair, pulling at it and doubling over a little "My stupid brain! Why… Why does it have to do this to me!? And…this stupid place! Everything's _white_! I-I can't see any hints that this…is just a mean hallucination again! Why does this have to happen?! Why…"

"Robbie!"

He suddenly gets pulled against a chest again and feels strong arms wrapping around him. "Robbie, this is no hallucination! This is _real_!"

"It _can't_ be!" Robbie tries to writhe and free himself from the embrace, his sobs becoming hysterical "Sportacus doesn't love me! He can't! I'm the villain! This is just…" he breaks up, gasping for breath.

It hurts.

Everything hurts.

But nothing hurts as bad as the knowledge that his own mind is torturing him like this _again_ …

"Shush! Easy! Robbie…" Sportacus, incredibly worried now, lets go of the other, still holding him upright at his shoulders so he won't slump back into the pillows and get even more trouble with his breathing at worst. His crystal is flashing and beeping. Not as powerfully as it did when Robbie collapsed, but clearly more furiously than usually. He swallows hard. He was incredible shocked and…hurt when he heard the villain's first words after his accidental confession. But once he realized that Robbie thought all this is nothing more than imagination again his heart broke even more… And now he looks at the other who's holding his chin on his chest, eyes squeezed shut, face a painful frown, breathing labored, whimpering and shaking as if he's just been through the worst torture…

"…Robbie… Oh, Robbie, please, calm down!" hesitatingly the hero lifts Robbie's chin up "…Please, look at me, Robbie…"

"…It got no use…" murmurs the villain completely powerlessly and takes another far too shallow breath in. The alarm of the crystal grows stronger.

"Robbie, please!" Sportacus feels that he's close to panicking "Tell me what I can do to prove to you that this is _real_! That this is no hallucination! That I _really_ love you!"

The hero winces a little at his own words and the silence that follows them only interrupted by Robbie's low gasps for breath.

Thinking this is one thing.

Whispering it to an unconscious Robbie, another.

Mentioning it not directly, but skating around it in the heat of the moment, even something different.

But nearly yelling it in pure desperation like this…

Robbie has opened his teary eyes meanwhile and they just stare at each other for what feels like an eternity…

"…Please…" the villain's voice is nothing more than a whimper "…Stop it… Just leave me alone… I-I can't take this anymore… I…" he gets cut off by soft lips pressing on his own.

He freezes and it feels as if his heart stops beating.

It was pure instinct.

Nothing more.

But Sportacus really saw no other way to try to make Robbie realize that this is real and not just another hallucination. Although a tiny, scared voice in the back of his head feared that the other might get a stroke or freak out even worse when he kisses him without his permission in the middle of his beg for this scenario to end.

And when he now senses that Robbie stiffens and tenses up even more, and even stops breathing, this voice gets even louder.

But his instinct still is superior.

He keeps kissing the other and one of his hands moves up to the back of his head to gently massage Robbie's scalp again while his other hand gently squeezes his shoulder.

His silent prayers for the villain to start breathing again get answered just seconds later. It appears that Robbie's body finally gives in to Sportacus' nonverbal promise and relaxes enough to pick up its primary functions on its own again, although the villain's brain obviously still struggles to accept the new feeling, and he's still whimpering, albeit softly.

The hero kisses him for several more seconds, before he slowly pulls back.

He opens his eyes, realizing just now that he must've closed them during the kiss.

Just as Robbie who hasn't returned the kiss out of pure shock. But at least the painful frown on his face has changed into confusion now. Sportacus can't help a soft smile, although he's still worried and scared that he might've just made everything even worse with his action after all.

"…Robbie…" his hand moves from the back of the villain's head to cup his heated cheek. The other slowly opens his glassy eyes and swallows hard before he strains to murmur "…That…felt…real… But…it always does…"

Sportacus' smile grows a little stronger and he gently draws small circles on Robbie's cheek with his thumb when he now asks carefully, softly "…Always?… Does that mean…you used to hallucinate about something like this happening?…"

"…No…" Robbie blushes barely noticeably, remaining quite pale even during this, and he lowers his eyes, mumbling "…Yes… Just…once or twice… But then I…knew that this wasn't real and back then I…" his voice lowers even more and is barely audible now "…could therefore…enjoy it…"

The hero can't help a soft chuckle "I'm sorry if I'm not as a good kisser as in your hallucinations…"

"No!" Robbie quickly looks up and into the other's eyes again, his own reflecting a desperate confusion "I-I mean… It was… I still don't know whether this now is…"

"It _is_ real, Robbie," Sportacus cups his other cheek now as well and leans in closer so their foreheads are touching and he murmurs "…Please… Trust me…"

Robbie breathes in and swallows once more "…If I…believe this now…and then wake up without realizing it… Will you hate me if…I accidentally talk about this as if it was real?…"

"I could never hate you, Robbie. I _love_ you! I do since… I don't know. Since we first met?! I don't know… But I _swear_ this _is_ real! You won't wake up from this, since it's no dream or hallucination! This…"

This time, the _hero_ gets cut off with an incredibly light, short but wonderful feeling kiss.

When Robbie pulls back again, he's panting as if he's been holding his breath for minutes not just a few seconds and his eyes are wide with surprise, his whole body is shaking "…This…never worked before… Usually, I snapped back then… And this felt so real _again_ …"

"Because it _is_!" Sportacus sighs lowly and shakes his head with a light smile, his thumbs still caressing Robbie's cheeks "Please, tell me what I can do to prove this to you…"

Hesitatingly the villain lifts his hands to rest them on the hero's and closes his eyes for a few seconds to focus on the way this touch feels.

The way his heart is beating with happy excitement.

The tingling sensation the two kisses left on his lips, and once more the soft, warm, almost sweet scent of Sportacus…

The hero waits him out, trying to calm his throbbing heart. He's never felt this nervous and yet hopeful before…

Finally, Robbie opens his eyes again.

They stare into each other's eyes for a few more seconds.

Then a very faint, careful smile plays on Robbie's lips "…What you can do?… Maybe…another kiss?… This time…with both of us being prepared?… Just to make sure, you know…" he blushes a little more. Sportacus feels a heavy weight lifting from his chest. He knows that this is the breakthrough. He knows that Robbie finally has fully opened up to him now. That he trusts him. But he's also aware that he probably isn't able to register the full meaning of this yet. Not with his mind making room only for his emotions at this moment. But he couldn't care less right now.

Very gently, he strokes Robbie's cheeks once more, not breaking eye contact for more than a blink, his voice a soft, loving whisper "…Ready?…" The other only manages a very small nod, his feverish eyes gleaming with excitement and he's shaking even worse now. Sportacus notices this and he knows that Robbie still is far from being well again, but he pushes this thought back for the moment.

Later.

He leans in close again, closing his eyes, knowing instinctively that Robbie will follow his example. Then he feels his lips meeting Robbie's soft, although slightly dry ones. And he knows at once that this has to be the best feeling in the entire world…


	23. Empty?!

The feeling is overwhelming.

If he had any doubts left that this actually is real, they crackle into nonexistence now.

No hallucination can feel this incredibly good.

His entire body is vibrating with a mixture of excitement and exhaustion and he gives in completely to the kiss, letting the hero take control. Although, you can't really call it this way, because Sportacus only gently, slowly moves his lips a little and Robbie's follow this lead blindly. They don't go any further. But it's far enough…

When Sportacus slowly pulls back again after long minutes he takes a deep breath in, before opening his eyes and noticing the tears on the villain's cheeks, at once "…Robbie?…" slightly worried, he wipes the tears away with his thumbs "Robbie, are you all right?"

Blinking slowly, the other opens his eyes again and just stares at the hero's for a moment. Then he swallows weakly and a faint smile plays on his lips "…If this really was nothing but a hallucination…then I'd never want to wake up from it again… But…this felt too real to be one…" he takes a shallow breath in through his slightly parted lips and his grip on the hero's arms tightens a little "…I would've never…thought that this would happen… That you actually…" he breaks up.

It feels as if the energy is drained from his body and his head slumps forward, coming to rest against Sportacus' chest.

A dull beeping reaches his clouded brain and he mumbles weakly "…The…brats…are in trouble again…"

"No. Not the kids…" Sportacus is barely able to contain the fear in his voice when he now carefully slides his hands down Robbie's back to carefully ease him into a lying position again. "…The…mayor?…"

"No, Robbie…" the hero is starting to wonder whether the villain is trying to joke, but then the beeping of his crystal becomes stronger again and Robbie's eyes flutter shut "Robbie? Robbie!" gently, Sportacus slaps his cheek "Wake up, Robbie!"

With a low groan, the other opens his eyes again and they start to dart around the room unfocused, his voice nothing but a weak mumble "…So…tired…"

"I know…" Sportacus tries to ignore the beeping of his crystal to force his voice to stay calm "But it's better if you stay awake now… Can you do that for me?" he smiles forcedly and grabs one of Robbie's shaking hands to squeeze it gently.

"…Hm… I can…try…" the other furrows his brows, wondering why he feels this incredibly exhausted out of a sudden "…But…you have to…save somebody…anyway… Can't I…take a nap in the meantime?…"

Sportacus' heart grows heavy, but he manages to still sound calm "…Robbie… The crystal is flashing because…of you…"

"…Me?…" he furrows his brows "…But I'm just…tired… Or…" now his clouded brain starts to slowly notice the hero's concerned expression and his eyes widen the tiniest bit with fear "…This…isn't normal… I'm the one in…trouble… But what…"

"Robbie. I promise you, you'll be okay! Trust me. Just try to stay awake now, okay?" Sportacus gently strokes his head "Talk to me. That will help you."

"…Okay…" maybe he's already too tired, or it's just because Sportacus' presence and touch simply are so comforting and soothing, but either way, Robbie isn't as scared as he probably should be right now, he even manages a small smile "…I…really liked…that kiss… Maybe we…could repeat that…one time…"

Sportacus smiles despite his growing concern and quickly bows down to place a soft kiss on Robbie's cheek "We'll repeat that as many times as you like, once you're all healthy again," then he stands up from the bed to stand next to it and start his examination. He first takes Robbie's temperature again, finding it even slightly more risen than before. "…Hm… I'd like that…" Robbie smiles weakly, struggling to keep his eyes open "…Sportacus?…"

"Yes?" the hero has just turned the villain's pajama top up to use the stethoscope to check on Robbie's heartbeat and breathing and is now carefully palpating his stomach.

"…Were you…serious?… Do you…really…love me?…"

Sportacus holds in his move, smiles down at the other and replies softly "Of course, I do. Would I've kissed you otherwise?"

"…But I… Until now…I didn't even believe that love…exists… I… I'm surely going to be…pretty bad at…loving you…" he lowers his eyes and a lonely tear runs down his cheek again.

"Oh, Robbie… You obviously don't notice…but you're already _incredibly_ good at it! Really!…" the hero shortly cups and strokes his cheek once more, before picking up his examination again "…Does any of this hurt?…"

"…Hm… No, I…don't think so…" Robbie weakly shakes his head "…I'm just so tired… And I…"

"Yes?" presses the hero gently.

"…I feel a little…funny…"

"Funny?" Sportacus furrows his brows in concern.

"Yeah…" the villain swallows hard and he blinks several times "…I don't…know what it is… It's like…a black, empty hole…up here…" he presses his palms against his temples and inhales sharply, his eyes squeezed shut "…Sportacus… Am I…dying?…"

"What?! Of course not!" the hero quickly takes Robbie's hands in his own and gently pulls them away from his head "Look at me, Robbie."

Whimpering, the other follows the order, his eyes feverish and glassy.

"I know you are scared and feel bad. But you won't die! I promise! I won't let you!" he leans down and captures Robbie's trembling lips in another, short kiss, before he searches his eyes, struggling with himself for a moment, before he starts carefully "…But…we really have to find out what is wrong with you now…"

"Please… No doctor! I-I…" Robbie bites his lower lip, trying to keep it from trembling even worse, but his eyes give away his panic, anyway "…I'm…so scared…"

"Shush…" Sportacus cups and caresses his cheek with one hand and starts massaging his chest with the other, his voice low and calm "…No… No doctor, Robbie… I don't think…an ordinary doctor would be able to help you anyway…"

"H-Huh?" Robbie swallows again, not sure whether to feel relieved or even more scared now.

"I can't…explain it to you now…" the hero smiles weakly "…You have to trust me again…and…you'll have to answer some questions…"

"…Questions?…" rasps Robbie confused.

"…Yes… Mainly about…your past…" Sportacus tries to appear calm and soothing, but he fails once more when he notices the other's wince at his word, then he murmurs "…It's probably going to be difficult for you, I know… But it's very important that you do!… And I'll be here for you and help you as good as I can!"

"…You…know what is going on…with me…don't you?…" Robbie takes a labored breath in and despite his daze, he still notices the hero's troubled expression and manages a weak smile "…Don't…try to…lie… We both know…that you have no experience with this… It's okay… I…will try my best to answer your questions if you're convinced…you can help me then…"

Sportacus smiles feebly and carefully wipes Robbie's new tears away with his thumb again "…Never dare to think of yourself as weak or a coward again… You're so incredibly brave right now!…"

"…Huh… It's easy to be…brave when you just…got to know that your…crush actually loves you…" a faint smile tugs at Robbie's lips and he hesitatingly lifts a violently shaking hand to cup Sportacus' slightly blushed cheek now as well, still fighting his exhaustion to not fall asleep "…Go ahead then… Ask me what you have to know…"


	24. Memory?!

"…You said that you moved to LazyTown from Iceland…along with your parents when you were four years old…" Sportacus is sitting on the bed across from Robbie, his legs crossed while watches the villain carefully, knowing that he has to take slow, careful steps in this subject. Robbie, propped up by pillows in his back so he's sitting as well, his legs bend and slightly pulled up against his chest (despite the hero's short protest that he worries whether he won't get stomachaches because of this again), is still busy keeping himself from falling asleep and nods weakly now.

"…But…when I asked whether you've ever experienced any kind of love… I also asked…"

"They didn't love me," Robbie's voice is low but steady and after a short pause he continues with a weak shrug "…They never helped me against Number Nine. They didn't care one bit why I was crying and all alone most of the time, starting shortly after he showed up for the first time. Before, I was okay with their disinterest in me… I had found some friends in town shortly after we moved here and I had my hobby: inventing stuff. But…when Nine…motivated my friends to play outside all the time…" he wraps his arms around his knees a little tighter "…Let's just say…even when I tried to play with them and gave my best…I ended up getting laughed at by them…and…him… But my parents didn't care. They barely listened to me… And my brother…" he breaks up with a low groan and presses his palm against his forehead, swallowing hard. "Shush…" Sportacus reaches out and gently, soothingly runs his hands up and down the villain's bare arms. Once Robbie has recovered a little again, the hero asks softly "…You have a brother?…"

"Yes…" Robbie calms himself again "…He was older than me by five years… We never got along that well, but when Nine started with all these sports…it became worse… He was his biggest fan, you could say… And he was one of the older kids in town so he quickly became their leader… When Nine wasn't around he was the one ordering the others around, 'motivating' them to keep practicing and playing even when they were tired… And he…" Robbie lowers his eyes "…He even slapped me once…because one of my schemes against Nine…went wrong and turned out to be a little more dangerous for him than I intended… You know how this is sometimes…" he forces a laugh but at the same time quickly wipes a tear from his cheek. Sportacus gently cups his cheek, wiping the next tears away for him, his voice soft but firm "But he though mustn't have slapped you! I know that you would never hurt anybody on purpose! And I…never approved of Nine's methods, anyway… I don't know much about him, but when I was in my last semester at school he visited the students and told us about his…adventures… I realized at once that I didn't like him. That's why it didn't really surprise me when I met you and saw that you are not evil like he claimed, but incredible…lovable…" he blushes and clears his throat "…But tell me more about your parents, please…"

"There's not much to tell… As I said, they didn't care at all… Never told me why we left Iceland, either… And one day…they and Ray, my brother, were…gone…" Robbie shrugs again, a small part of his mind tells him that he should react on the hero calling him 'lovable', but he can't… "Gone?" Sportacus quirks a brow "What do you mean 'gone'?…"

"Well, I mean that they left me!" Robbie clenches his hands into fists "Like one day they're still there and when I wake up the next morning I'm alone in the house! Like they left me behind! No letter! No note! Not even a single word before!" he's never talked about this with anybody before, but now he feels something deep down inside him shatter into a million of pieces and he can't help a sob "I-I mean, it's not like it made a huge difference! I was able to take care of myself at this age, after all… I-I was just surprised… Although it only proved what I already knew - that nobody wants to live with me… B-But…"

"Robbie. Robbie! Hey," Sportacus gently lifts the other's chin up to look into his teary eyes "This is _not_ true. You hear me?! This had absolutely nothing to do with you!…"

"B-But why did they leave me then when I was only fourteen years old?? What did I _do_ to scare off my _own_ family?!?" Robbie's sobs become more hysteric and he buries his face in his hands. "You did nothing… Oh, Robbie…" the hero shifts on the bed until he's sitting next to the villain and carefully wraps an arm around his shoulders "…Robbie, please, calm down… You didn't scare them off…"

"They _left_ me, Sportacus!" Robbie turns his head to give the other a pained, desperate, and slightly angry look "What other reason can parents have to leave behind their fourteen year old son, besides feeling nothing but hate and disgust for him?!"

"…Robbie…"

"No! Let's be honest! I…" he gets cut off by strong arms, pulling him into a tight embrace.

"I _am_ honest. And I tell you, it's not _your_ fault, Robbie!" murmurs Sportacus against the villain's neck, gently running his hands over the other's tensed back and seconds later he can sense the body, pressed flush against his own, convulse with more violent sobs than before and Robbie returns the embrace, clinging to him so tight as if his life depended on it "Hush. It's okay. Let it go…"

"…Th-They hated me…" repeats the villain with broken, by Sportacus' crook of the neck muffled, voice.

"Stop saying that."

"But it's _true_!"

"No, it's not."

"How could _you_ know?! Have you ever met them!?" Robbie's voice isn't angry. No, Sportacus can hear the desperation in it and…maybe even a trace of hope?…

"…No… Of course not…" the hero gently runs his hand through the tousled black hair "…But I do know…that there's no chance that any parent would leave behind their child like this! Not when they first took you with them when they moved! And not if they took your brother with them when they left LazyTown!"

"But that's exactly what they _did_!" whimpers the villain lowly and swallows hard.

"Robbie…"

"No… It's okay, Sportacus…" Robbie squeezes his eyes shut and realizes just now that he has been digging his fingers into the hero's back and quickly stops this now, mumbling "…Sorry…"

"What?"

"…I hurt you…" his voice breaks and he tries to free himself from the other's embrace.

"Nonsense," Sportacus shakes his head and lets Robbie pull back, but holds him at his shoulders, searching his gaze "You didn't hurt me. You held on to me for comfort. That's normal."

"…Normal?…" Robbie furrows his brows.

"Yes," the hero cups the other's cheek again and smiles sadly "…So you…never got hugged or comforted by your parents, either?…"

"No, I…" Robbie's expression changes to slight confusion "…I don't…think so… I…" he takes a shallow breath in "…M-My…head hurts…"

"I know, Robbie, but you have to focus. Do you _remember_ that your parents _never_ hugged you?" Sportacus cups his other cheek now, as well, searching his eyes.

"…I…" the villain's eyes grow wide for a moment, then he suddenly starts shaking his head "No, they didn't!"

"Are you really sure?"

" **Why do you keep questioning my memory?! I've got a headache, but I should be able to remember my own childhood, shouldn't I?!** " Robbie winces at his own yell and covers his mouth with one hand for a moment, gasping with now muffled voice "I'm… I'm so sorry! I-I didn't mean to…yell at you like this! I…"

"It's okay, Robbie!" Sportacus gently pulls the villain's hand away from his mouth, squeezing it gently "It's okay."

"N-No, it's not!" Robbie wildly shakes his head "You're only trying to help me and I freak out like this! No wonder that nobody…" he gets cut off again. This time by lips pressing on his own. Seconds later, Sportacus pulls back again, smiling broadly at Robbie's stunned expression "…Well… Now I found a way to stop your panic attacks…" he lovingly strokes through Robbie's hair "Hey… It's okay. Really."

"But I yelled at you…"

"That as well is completely normal. You're under immense pressure and stress right now. And you're still sick and tired… Robbie…" the hero sighs lowly "Listen. Take deep breaths and just listen now. Okay?"

Robbie nods weakly, barely noticeably and instinctively grabs Sportacus' comfort offering hands.

"Good… So… I just wanted to know whether you're completely sure that your memory is correct because…" Sportacus takes a deep breath in now, himself, trying to find gentle words "…Because…there's a chance that…you get a headache now, when you think about this because…your memory got…manipulated…"


	25. Manipulation?!

"…Manipulated?…" Robbie's voice is raspy.

For some reason he doesn't understand the meaning of this word.

Not in this sentence, anyway.

"…What…do you mean? H-How…could my memory be manipulated?! That's…" he shakes his head and his grip on Sportacus' hands tightens "That's not possible!"

"I know it sounds strange," Sportacus forces a wry smile "…But…you just got kissed by an elf… Give me a chance to explain this to you, please…"

"Sure… I mean… I _erased_ your memory once! Why should I feel surprised that it can be _manipulated_ as well, right?!" Robbie laughs forcedly and his shaking becomes worse.

"That's something different…" murmurs the hero gently and slowly lets go of the villain's hands to grab one of the blankets and carefully put it around Robbie's shoulders, then he starts rubbing over his back in a soothing manner "…You used one of your inventions for that… And the result wasn't permanent and relatively easy to break… What I believe happened to you, however, is completely different… I…" Sportacus furrows his brows, trying to find fitting but soft words "…At school our folks learn several things…the elders think we should know and be able to do… We get… I guess, you could say, we get trained to be heroes. Although I don't like this word… However… That's why I know the basics of medicine, as well. And… We're supposed to help children in every case, no matter whether they have physical or…psychical problems… Sometimes…" his caressing touches of Robbie's back slow down and his voice becomes absent and slightly sad "…Sometimes, children experience horrible things… They get traumatized at a very young age… And…for such cases, we learn…how to…ease their psychical pain…"

Robbie can't help it, he winces back and stares at Sportacus, his eyes widen with a mixture of fear and confusion when he stammers "Y-You… You _know_ how to…m-manipulate memory?! You… H-Have you…"

"No!" Sportacus wants to grab his hand again, but he stops himself, fearing to scare him even more, and tries to calm his voice "…No… I've never done this, myself. As I said, my very first…order was to take you to the elders… And I really hope that I never have to… I don't really approve of this method, either! It's an old one… It's…some kind of…magic. Not really, but it's easier to describe it like this now… However, we rarely use our…talents like this anymore. We now believe that most kids should progress whatever they experience with other kind of support, although it's painful… When they get older they always notice that something is wrong with their memory, anyway… And then they often…suffer even worse…" the hero's voice trails off when he sees the tears, gathering in Robbie's eyes.

There's a pause.

Sportacus' doesn't know how to continue. His mouth is dry and he feels something boiling deep inside of him. An emotion he never really felt before. Not like this. - Anger…and…hate?…

"…Nine… He… You believe that he…used this…power on…me?!…" the villain's voice is low, barely louder than the strong rain outside. But it though lets the hero wince slightly. He opens his eyes again, unaware that he even closed them and looks straight into Robbie's hurt and desperation reflecting face.

"…Robbie…" Sportacus swallows hard, wishing that he could take back everything he just said to return to the closeness they shared before. He's scared. Scared, that he might lose Robbie now for good once he realizes what one of his people probably did to him. But he also knows that he deserves to know the truth. That he _has_ to know the truth to stop believing that his parents hated and left him…

"…You said…that you were fourteen years old when your family left you… That's…a pretty high age to use this method…all correctly and efficiently… Such a far developed brain isn't easy to…manipulate… It's nearly impossible with adults… Maybe…Nine tried to…help you…after something horrible happened to you or…your family… I don't know. But if he did…then maybe…something went wrong…and you got stuck with…mostly bad memories…"

"…Maybe… Maybe… Maybe…" Robbie slowly shakes his head and sniffs lowly. He feels so tired… And although he is able to follow Sportacus' train of thought, and it may even sound somehow plausible, it still feels so confusing and surreal to him… Hugging his knees close to his chest again he mumbles "…Maybe he did nothing and my family hated me after all…"

"But your headache…"

"…could also be an ordinary headache," the villain searches the hero's eyes "…You're just trying to make me feel better, aren't you?…"

"What?! No! I was serious!" Sportacus suddenly pulls his hat off and runs his hands through his blonde, slightly curly hair, shaking his head in pure desperation "I don't _know_ whether I'm right. But I'm… I got a feeling… And…your symptoms could be caused by your suppressed and manipulated memory trying to break free…"

"And why _now_?" Robbie is still staring at the hero. He doesn't know why he does, but he feels as if he can't effort to take his eyes off of the only reason he hasn't curled up on himself and fallen into an everlasting depression yet.

"I don't know, I…" Sportacus stops in his move and hesitates "…Because…of me…"

The villain furrows his brows, but doesn't say anything, knowing that he'll get an explanation soon enough.

"…You…realized that you…loved me… But you were insecure about your feelings and whether this is even possible and finally called me for help…" the hero's eyes brighten up the tiniest bit "What if the feeling of love started all this!? You said that your symptoms occurred during the past few days while you tried to figure out whether love exists! And your hallucinations… They could also be caused by suppressed memory, and because you're confronted with your past again now they became so strong that you…" now his face drops and he becomes pale "…nearly died… Oh no… I… If that's true…" he breaks up and a cold shiver runs down his spine.

"…Sportacus?…" Robbie notices the hero's horrified gaze and hesitatingly reaches out to carefully touch his arm, although he still feels scared and confused, himself "Sportacus, what is it?"

The hero pulls his arm back, out of reach, and shifts away from Robbie a bit. He's shaking almost as bad as the villain now and skids so far, he nearly falls off the edge of the bed.

His eyes fill with tears and his voice is a scared whisper "…I could've killed you…"


	26. Kiss?!

Robbie doesn't know how he's supposed to feel about this statement now.

Whether he should be scared or shocked or whatever.

The only thing he knows at this moment is that he has never seen Sportacus like this. For the first time since he knows him he doesn't look like a hero anymore. He looks more like a terrified child now. And in a way he reminds Robbie a little of himself when he once again climbed up somewhere without thinking about his fear of heights… Only that Sportacus now can't call a hero for help, like Robbie always knows he can, because he can't possibly save and calm himself now, can he!? So… It's up to the villain now, to take his job, isn't it?… But that's ridiculous! He's a mental wreck, himself! How could _he_ possibly be of any help for the hero!?…

"…Sportacus…" he swallows hard and carefully shifts closer again so their arms are touching, but nothing more "…Whatever you're thinking now… You could've never killed me! You _saved_ me! You reanimated me!"

A few tears run down the hero's cheeks, but he turns his head to look at Robbie again, his voice close to a sob "No, you don't understand, Robbie… I-I… If it wouldn't have been for me, these memories might would've never started to try to break free again! And the fact that I'm an elf… **_I mustn't have kissed you!!!_** " with a sudden jerk, Sportacus jumps up from the bed, nearly tumbles over to the next wall and slams his fists into it. Robbie winces at the sudden movement and then again at the loud noise when the strong hands collide with the metal-like wall of the airship. He's sure that there is going to be a distortion left. And he, once again knows that he should probably feel lightly scared now, after all nobody in this town has ever seen the hero getting violent before, not even with things. He usually doesn't even get angry… But Robbie doesn't feel scared. He's not even that shocked or surprised to witness this outburst. He's just worried that Sportacus might hurt himself accidentally…or drown in self-reproaches like he knows it from himself…

"…Why…"

"By kissing you, I built one of the strongest, emotional bonds, there is! If Nine really manipulated your memory then he had to build a certain emotional bond with you as well before, otherwise, this method doesn't work…" Sportacus leans his forehead against the white wall in front of him, his voice is strained and forced low "…Nine is an elf… I'm an elf as well… It's not like I…manipulate you when I kiss you, but…when we share such a deep kiss then we get…connected in a way that is…completely different than the method of mind-manipulation, but works on a similar emotional basis. And by creating such a second bond with…an elf, the first one could've gotten shattered or broken completely…"

"…But… Isn't that…good? I mean…you wanted me to focus to remember what _really_ happened…" asks Robbie now slightly puzzled and shifts on the bed to sit on its edge now. "Yes. But then you would've recovered your memory slowly, piece by piece, by your _own_ power. You… You can imagine this like a…wall Nine created around what _really_ happened to plant in new, but false and manipulated memories on the 'good' side of it which you can reach easily like each other normal memory. But the original one is blocked and hidden from you… The moment we kissed I could've broken that wall down completely within one second. Then your original memories would've crashed down on you with such force that you… Anything could've happened to you. Your mind could've snapped…and you also could've…died…" Sportacus starts to shake even worse now "…Your headache…and your exhaustion…very likely became this bad now because…the wall started to crumble…but it still tries to keep your original memories inside… There's…a fight going on in your head right now… Sooner or later the wall is going to fall now, I fear… And then…fake and real memories are going to mix up and there'll be chaos for some time… And…if you're lucky…everything will turn out good and you'll get your original memories back and know what really happened again…"

"…Well… Then everything is okay, isn't it?! I'll get my memory back and everything will be fine! Why are you so upset?" Robbie tries to sound cheerfully. Everything the hero has just explained sounded just as logical as absurd to him. He doesn't really know what to make of it. But right now he doesn't really care, either.

All he wants is for Sportacus to return to the bed, embrace and warm him again and make him feel less alone and vulnerable. But to get what he wants he now has to calm the hero's concern at first…

So, although he doesn't feel up to it at all, he now carefully pushes his trembling body up, and seconds later, is standing on wobbly legs in front of the bed.

"…Something like this…hasn't happened before, I guess… We were told that this is more theoretical than actually proven… You could as well…" Sportacus sobs and slams his fists once more against the wall "That's all my fault!!!"

"That's nonsense!" slowly, carefully, Robbie starts approaching the other who is still standing with his back to him, thereby he manages to ignore his with weakness shaking body, just as the slight dizziness and nausea coming up at this strain "…Sportacus… If everything you just said is actually the case… Then it's, if at all, Nine's fault!…"

"But I should've been more careful! I shouldn't have blindly followed my instinct and kissed you without thinking about the consequences before!"

"…Well… I liked the kiss…" the villain has nearly reached the hero now and a small smile plays on his lips "…It was the best feeling…I've ever experienced. And…even if it would've killed me… I'd say, it was totally worth it!"

"Don't say things like that…" sniffs Sportacus lowly.

"But it's true! I…" Robbie holds in his move to touch Sportacus' shoulder and whispers weakly "…I thought…especially you would understand… I called you, because I wasn't even sure whether love in general existed… And then I… Then you kissed me… It felt amazing. I… I rarely ever felt such a positive emotion! And…although it sounds completely stupid… At this moment I realized that no dangerous scheme I ever tried was even worth the effort. But feeling loved by you…is worth to die for… Sportacus, please… Don't blame yourself for giving me the feeling that it's worth to live on, even if it would've been for only this short moment! Please…"

Sportacus takes shallow breaths in and still presses his fists into the wall while he listens to Robbie's low, weak voice. More tears force their way into his eyes and he desperately tries to fight this strong, new feeling of anger at himself and hate towards Nine. He can't tell whether he maybe 'just' wanted to help Robbie with some sort of trauma by manipulating his memory. But even if that's the case, he _knew_ that trying this on a kid that's already fourteen years old is extremely dangerous! And then he even told the elders that Robbie was 'a threat' and therefore they sent Ten - Sportacus - to catch him and take him to Iceland for punishment! That doesn't even make sense, if he _actually_ just wanted to help Robbie when he was a child, does it!?

Sportacus isn't sure whether he'd have been able to snap out of this carousel of hate and anger, if it wasn't for Robbie's hand suddenly resting on one of his fists "…Sportacus…"

Blinking slowly, he opens his shut squeezed eyes again and raises his gaze to look at Robbie who is standing leaned against the wall, the blanket still around his shoulders, sweat on his forehead, shaking like a leaf, on his lips a faint, unsure smile. He looks incredibly worn out, but at the same time unspeakably beautiful at this moment, Sportacus can't help this impression.

"…You shouldn't have stood up. You're too weakened to walk around," the hero's voice is raspy, but his hand, Robbie's is resting on, relaxes and turns around to grab the villain's out of reflex "…You need to lay back down…"

"Only if you come along," Robbie's smile is still uncertain, but he squeezes Sportacus' hand thankfully and murmurs "…I…need you to feel safe, Sportaflop… No matter what mistake you believe you've made, I can only thank you for it. I can only thank you for anything you've ever done for me. Not just since yesterday but during all these years… You even accepted the sacrifice of leaving your birthplace for good, so I can be safe. I really don't know what more you're expecting of yourself…" he takes a shaking step away from the wall to reach out and grab the hero's other hand now as well "Please, stop bl-" at this moment his knees buckle and give way.

"Robbie!" Sportacus quickly catches him, pulling him flush against his own body, holding the villain upright with one arm wrapped around his waist and the other around the small of his back, his voice thick with fear "Robbie, are you all right?!?"

"…Now, I am…" murmurs the other, his chin still rested on the hero's shoulder, the weak smile audible, and he wraps his arms around the hero's neck "…Can you take me back to your bed now, please, Sportacare?…"

The hero needs a moment to recover from the shock and react, but then he finally feels the anger vanishing again, chased off by the warm feeling of love and the instinct to care for Robbie, and he smiles lightly. Then he carefully lifts the villain up and Robbie instinctively wraps his legs around the smaller man's waist so he can carry him over to the bed now. They're both aware that this probably looks strange now. Not only because of their size difference, but because this way it looks a little like Sportacus is carrying his girlfriend to the bed…and probably not because of medical reasons…

But for them, in this specific moment, it's more in the meaning of carrying a child back to its bed, after it had a nightmare. Robbie feels safe again like this and Sportacus…feels in control of his feelings again, because he senses that he has to take care of Robbie now, no matter whether he made a mistake before or not… Because…nobody else will…

Very gently, he eases the villain down on the bed and into the pillows again, looking down on him for a moment while still standing next to it. Robbie returns the gaze for a few seconds mutely, but then he asks lowly "What?"

"Nothing. I just… Thank you."

"Huh? Why would…"

"Because you're amazing! Because you just managed to drag me out of such dark thoughts and emotions, I never had before and therefore really didn't know how to deal with them. Because…you're not scared of me now…although one of my kind did this to you…" Sportacus grabs one of the villain's quite cold hands and repeats even firmer now "Because you're amazing!"

"…You're not to blame for what your precursor did!…" Robbie blushes violently, but can't help a smile "And stop sweet talking me, Sportaflop…"

"I don't. I'm serious!" Sportacus smirks "…And I like it when you blush… You're so pale at the moment otherwise…"

"Well, you don't look like your usual healthy self, either, Sporty…" Robbie gently tugs at his hand, a soft smile on his lips "You barely got a few hours of sleep, did you?! No wonder that you got angry…"

"I got angry because Nine endangered you and I…"

"Yes, yes, yes!" Robbie waves his free hand in a dismissive gesture and tugs at his hand again, this time a little bit stronger "No more guilty conscience now. Come on, rest yourself for once…"

"I'm on my way. But first… Tell me how you're feeling? Better than before?"

"Yes, a little… But I… I still feel cold…and dizzy…" admits Robbie after a short hesitation and shrugs weakly.

"You need to eat and drink something. I'll prepare some tea and sandwiches again, okay? Wait here and _don't_ get up again!" the hero gives him a playful, warning smile and squeezes his hand once more, before letting go of it. Robbie pouts but nods "Yeah, okay. But only if you eat something, as well!"

"I will," promises Sportacus and turns to head for the table to prepare breakfast for the two of them. Robbie watches him from the bed and feels himself relax. Physically, he still feels quite bad but the knowledge that Sportacus loves and cares about him helps a lot to ease his pain and sickness…

"…Sportacus…"

"Yes, Robbie?"

"…Will we…find out whether your assumption is right somehow?…" his voice breaks a little. Sportacus hears this and looks up from his work, giving him a small smile "I will do everything I can to help you, Robbie. I swear. You really don't have to be afraid. I won't leave you alone for one minute until we can be sure you are out of danger because of your memories."

"Okay… But…" Robbie furrows his brows "…Uhm… You said…kissing could endanger me now, as well… Does that mean…"

Sportacus is about to laugh, but once he understands what this means, himself, all he manages is a sad smile "…Yeah… Let's…better…pause this until we fixed this problem… Okay? We can still…cuddle, if you like… But we should…delay…further intimacy…"

"Ugh… If I ever meet Nine again…I'm gonna punch him on the nose for complicating my first love experience like this!…" groans Robbie lowly and crosses his arms in front of his chest. Sportacus looks at him…and can't help himself anymore after a few seconds. He laughs softly "Oh, Robbie…"

And Robbie smiles, satisfied with his work. He hates seeing Sportacus sad. So he'd do anything to just make him smile again. And it worked. This may be the first plan of him that actually did… But seriously, there could've been no better moment than right now, right?!…


	27. Angel?!

He's an angel.

Sportacus is almost absolutely certain that he is, no matter his partly mean, partly dangerous schemes of the past.

The way, he looks now - incredibly cute, slightly curled up on his side, a very weak, relaxed smile on his lips, some of his black hair strands falling into his pale, but still beautiful face…

Yes.

Robbie definitely looks like an angel!

At least when he's sleeping this peacefully.

At least to Sportacus…

Carefully, the hero pulls the blanket up higher, up to Robbie's chin and lightly runs his hand through the tousled black hair again, before very slowly getting out of the bed, leaving his place behind the villain's back. Robbie starts shifting in his sleep at once, trying to follow the warm, protective body. Quickly, the hero replaces himself with several big pillows, and although the other frowns slightly in his sleep at first, he soon relaxes again and stops moving. Sportacus watches him for a few minutes to make sure he stays this peaceful. Thereby, he can't help a soft smile. The sandwiches and the tea Robbie ate and drank without a single second of hesitation this time obviously really did him well. Shortly after they both finished eating he became tired again, but this tiredness was a good one he urgently needed to regain some power again, the hero could tell immediately. And mere minutes after they cuddled up together, Robbie already was fast asleep. And Sportacus soon followed his example once he was sure his friend was all right.

That was five hours ago. But now the hero is awake and feels the urgent need to do something. Not to exercise and move around, but to find out how to help Robbie. His mind has been racing since he woke up, and now he silently walks over to the closet with his many books, lowly ordering for a flashlight, since it's rather dark in his ship due to the bad weather still going on outside, and he doesn't want to turn on the full light, so he won't disturb Robbie's rest. While searching for a special book, he feels guilt crawling up into his head again. Mind manipulation and other…'magical' classes have always been his worst ones at school. He simply didn't like the thought of forcing your own will onto others at all. Especially not like this! So he never showed any more interest in this subject than absolute necessary to pass the tests… And then he forgot most of it again, soon. Back then he thought…it didn't matter, because he'd never use any of these methods, himself, anyway… But now he'd need every bit of knowledge he could get to help Robbie without hurting or endangering him even more!…

Said villain now shifts on the bed again and mumbles lowly "…Sportacus…" followed by a low whimper.

The hero sighs lowly, turning his head to the closet again, picking up his search for the book.

He can't turn back time. But he can do his best to correct his mistakes of the past now. He _has_ to…

There it is!

Happily, but carefully, Sportacus pulls the huge book out of the closet without pulling any other books along. (A task, that appears sheer impossible, but he's a (slightly above average) hero after all, right?!) Then he simply sits down cross-legged on the ground where he's just been standing and takes the book in his lap. "'The science and performance of basic elvish skills'…" murmurs Sportacus lowly, automatically translating the words of his very first language - Elvish - into his most used one - English - during this, and his hand absently runs over the cover of the old book. He isn't completely sure whether he's actually going to find the urgently needed answer in there… But every trace of hope in his body relies on this…

He looks over to Robbie again, who's still sleeping, but not as well as before now anymore as it seems.

"…Don't worry… I _will_ help you!…" his voice is barely audible, but it pushes himself a little and he slowly, almost reverentially, opens the book.

The rain and wind outside get louder and stronger and are soon joined by a distant lightning and thunder.

And Sportacus is sitting on the ground, flashlight in hand, and reads.

The storm outside creating a slightly dark, but fitting background music to this…


	28. Different?!

"Mum! He hit me!"

"Seriously?! How old are you?! Five!?"

"Mum, Ray hit me!"

"You're such a crybaby! And a squealer! Nine is _so_ right about you!" Ray glares down at his brother, towering over him by very well three heads. The younger boy feels tears coming up and he clenches his hands into fists, holding them at his sides, hissing "You're so mean! Just like _him_!"

"Robbie, Ray! Enough with this now!"

"But…"

"No buts, Robbie!" cuts their mother his whine off "Ray is right. You're fourteen years old! You're old enough to stand up for yourself!"

"Ha!"

"Ray," the mother gives her older son a warning glance "You're the older one, so you're ought to be more reasonable and _not_ bullying your younger brother!"

"It's not _my_ fault that he's like this!" Ray crosses his arms and pouts "If he'd be normal and not…"

"That's enough, Ray!" interrupts their father now and comes over from the orange chair he's been sitting on until now, his voice low, and that means stern "We know that you like Nine. But Robbie is your brother and…"

"Robbie is nothing but the reason why we left _home_!" yells Ray out of a sudden and stomps his foot "If it hadn't been for _him_ , we wouldn't even _be_ here! This places sucks! It sucked unspeakably, until Nine showed up! But even _with_ him it still sucks! And _Robbie_ just nearly _killed_ him with one of his stupid inventions! He…"

"Enough!" their father grabs Ray's arm and drags him towards the door "We better talk about this _outside_ again, young man!"

Ray mutters something under his breath, but follows his father, and seconds later the door falls shut behind them and a thick silence sets in…

"…Robbie? Is that true?" his mother's voice is not stern, but neither is it soft or understanding. How could it be?!…

Robbie shifts uneasily, avoiding eye contact "…It…was an accident… I really didn't mean to harm him! It just…"

"Robbie, this _has_ to stop! I know you got problems, but hurting people won't solve them!"

"I don't hurt anybody! That was a sheer accident! Nine is the one who…"

"I _don't_ want to hear any of this again! _You_ made a mistake and endangered Nine and probably the other kids, including your own brother as well with it! With fourteen years you should be…"

"What did Ray mean?…" Robbie can't focus on his mother's usual, albeit rare ranting, his thoughts are elsewhere and he now slowly raises his gaze to look at her in confusion "…Why am I the reason we left Iceland?… And why am I not…'normal'?…"

"…You… You know Ray. He's a hothead. That was just…"

"No. He was serious. I know when he's just mocking or bullying me. What he just said was…serious. He is angry at me for more reasons than just my scheme…" murmurs the boy lowly and when his mother now looks aside uneasily he feels a thick lump in his throat "I am right, am I not?… Mum?… What… What is…wrong with me?… Why am I so different than my brother? …Than…the other kids…"

"You're not different, Robbie…"

"Stop lying to me!" yells the fourteen-year old desperately and can't hold back the tears any longer "Of course I am different! I feel this every single day! Ray won't let me forget it! And I can see this, myself! We don't even look similar, except of the dark hair!"

"You're no twins, Robbie."

"Just tell me the truth, okay!? Please! I-I can't live like this any longer, Mum!" he sobs lowly. He's not stupid. Of course, he noticed that something isn't right. At a very young age even. And although he barely remembers anything from their hometown in Iceland, except parts of the language, he has always been curious why they left when he was four, and Ray nine years old. And hearing his brother say that _he_ was the reason only adds to his confusion and…hurts in a way that can't be compared to the slap he got from Ray before…

"…Come…" his mother suddenly gently takes his hand and pulls him along, over to the fluffy, orange chair, his father's favorite seat. There she takes a seat, dragging Robbie down to sit next to her, and lightly puts an arm around his shoulders. The boy winces and looks at her, obviously confused…not to say…scared. His parents usually don't…comfort him when he's crying…left alone _hug_ him… Not even when he was younger… His head is spinning. Whatever she's going to tell him now must be really serious…

"…You're right, Robbie… You're old enough to learn the truth…" his mother hesitatingly runs her hand over his back "…Please, try not to fuss and just listen…"

A deafening bang interrupts her.

Robbie's heart does a jump and nearly skips the next beat.

Suddenly, he's surrounded by darkness.

Another bang. Even louder now.

"Mum!"

 

He sits up in the bed.

Covered in sweat.

His heart is throbbing so violently in his chest he hears and feels nothing else.

It's dark.

But only for a moment, then a sudden, bright, blinding flash lightens up the airship.

Robbie flinches "Sportacus!!!"

"I'm here! It's okay, Robbie! Everything's all right. That's just lightning…"

Only now the villain is able to become aware of the hand holding his own, shaking one in a tight, soothing grip. He blinks and turns his head to look at the hero standing next to the bed, eyeing him with concern, as far as he can tell, now that it's dark again. His voice is trembling just as bad as his body and tears start falling from his eyes "…Sportacus…"

"Shush…" the hero gently cups his cheek with his other hand "It's okay. You're safe here. The airship is completely safe during a storm. And we're even on the ground…"

"M-My m-mother…" Robbie still can't stop his sobs and he grabs the other's muscular arm as if he's holding on for dear life again. Sportacus quickly sits down on the bed next to the villain again and pulls him close to his chest "Shush! It was just a nightmare…"

"N-No!" Robbie weakly shakes his head and buries his face in the crook of the hero's neck, trying to calm his breathing while stammering "Th-That was…no dream… I-I…" Another flash brightens up the ship and a loud rumble sounds up that lets him cry out and wrap his arms tighter around the hero's back, unconsciously digging his fingers into it again. He knows this is stupid and childish, but he can't help it at the moment. His brain is clouded and yet even clearer than before in a way, and his body feels like an unprotected, raw nerve…

"Hush. It's okay. I'm here…" Sportacus soothingly runs one hand through his hair again while his other rubs gentle circles into his back "…Did you…remember something?…"

Robbie nods weakly and hiccups lowly "Y-Yes, I-I think s-so… B-But the l-lightning…" a sharp pain shooting into his right temple cuts him off and he starts to whimper lowly instead.

"Dim light!" orders Sportacus in a low voice when feels his friend tense up even more. Seconds later a soft light chases the darkness away and reveals a violently shaking, slightly hunched Robbie in his arms. It breaks the hero's heart… He also feels how the top of the pajama is sticking to Robbie's entirely sweat wet, trembling body, but ignores this for now "Shush, try to calm down. Take deep breaths…"

"M-My head…hurts… B-But I need to…remember… She… She was about to…tell me the truth…" his breath quickens, almost as if he's starting to panic, but this only makes his headache worse and he groans lowly.

"No. Don't push yourself," murmurs Sportacus lowly but firmly "You need to relax. Don't force your brain to hold on to anything or reveal more than it is able to at the moment. You'll only get hurt if you try at worst."

"…Why do I have to be so weak?…" Robbie's breath comes in shallow intervals now.

"You are _not_ weak, Robbie! Hey…" the hero carefully holds him at his shoulders and searches his eyes "Listen. You're doing _so_ great! What you're going through at the moment…" he swallows hard and gently cups the villain's cheek "…That's not just a light cold what's bothering you. This is very serious! And you're so brave… I'm really, really proud of you, Robbie! So please…try to be at least a little bit proud of yourself, too… Will you do that for me?…" he gently wipes the next tear away with his thumb and smiles softly. Robbie sniffs lowly, but he leans into the calming touch, looks into Sportacus' gentle, pleading, blue eyes and nods barely noticeably, whispering "…I'll…try…"

"Thank you," replies the hero in a serious voice, then he gently brushes a few hairs out of Robbie's face, eyeing him carefully with growing concern "…You feel even hotter than before…"

"…No… I'm…cold… And…dizzy…" he wraps his arms around himself and watches the hero grab the thermometer from the bedside table and lets him take his temperature "…What were you doing?…"

"Research," Sportacus tries not to let the full amount of his concern being mirrored on his face, when he looks at the display of the medical device and adds "I've got my old schoolbook for these kind of elvish…magic among my other books and because I didn't want to wake you up I sat down over there to read with a flashlight. When you…cried out the first time I hurried back to you, as fast as I could… I'm sorry. I shouldn't have left you alone in the bed. I feared that the lightning and thunder might scare you awake…"

Robbie weakly shakes his head "Don't apologize, Sportaflop… It's bad enough that I make you sneak around like this in your own house…" a very weak smile "…So… Did you find any answers in that book of yours?…"

The hero hesitates.

Robbie looks worse than ever right now. He's pale, shivering, sweating and in obvious pain. Not to mention his almost dangerously high fever… Stressing him with any form of information simply doesn't seem like the right thing to do at the moment. But…doesn't the other have the right to know everything about his own condition, as well?…

That's one of the quite rare moments, in which the hero really isn't sure what to do… (Shocked, he realizes that these moments are getting more lately…) But just staring at Robbie without saying _anything_ surely is the worst thing he could do right now…

"…Recover a little, I'll explain it to you later…" promises the hero gently and strokes Robbie's cheek.

"…Oh… It's that bad, huh?…" the villain furrows his brows.

"What? No!" Sportacus quickly shakes his head "No, no! It's not! I just… I really don't want to stress you any further than you already are… Please, just give yourself a few minutes of rest… Then I'll tell you everything I found out until now. Okay?"

"…Okay…" Robbie nods slowly and wants to lay back down. But he freezes in his move. "What? What is it? Robbie!?" Sportacus instinctively takes his wrist to feel his pulse when the other suddenly pales even more "Robbie, talk to me!!"

"…I… I… Uhm…" Robbie lowers his eyes, his voice a weak mumble "…I…don't know how to ask this… But… Does your airship…have a…toilet?…"


	29. Hidden?!

"…Toilet…" parrots Sportacus lowly, without understanding the meaning of this word at first while blinking slowly.

He's so worried about Robbie, even more so after his research, that he's expecting his condition to worsen each time he becomes even slightly paler or stops in the middle of a sentence or a motion…

He knows that this is paranoid.

That this is no good.

That this is _exactly_ what his teachers have always warned him of.

That his feelings for a person - for Robbie endanger his ability to help and take care of him.

But how can one remain objective if a person you love so much is in obvious danger and suffering?…

"…Yes… I… I really need to…" Robbie's voice already is barely audible, but now it lowers even more "…pee… The… The tea…"

Sportacus blinks again "…Yeah… Of course…" he shakes his head and pulls himself together "Sure! The airship has a toilet! I'm sorry! I was…thinking… Wait, let me help you up…" he jumps from the bed and offers Robbie his hand, still eying the obviously slightly embarrassed villain with concern "…Would you…like me to carry you?…"

"No, no. It's fine! I… I can manage!" assures Robbie quickly, averting the hero's eyes while he forces himself to move and shift closer to the edge of the bed.

It's harder than he thought.

He's still shaking violently and when he pushes himself up on his feet his vision blurs and his legs nearly give way.

"It's okay, I got you," Sportacus wraps his arm around the villain's waist within a blink and keeps him upright. Reflexively, Robbie leans on the hero's shoulder for support, blushing heavily "…Thanks… I'm…really sorry I'm such a burden…"

"Robbie…" sighs Sportacus a little tiredly and grabs the other's hand with his free one "…You…"

"Yeah, yeah, I know…" murmurs the villain and smiles weakly "…Sorry, I can't help it. I… I just feel so… I'm simply not used to…rely on somebody this much… And I feel so…useless…" his voice breaks and he fixes his eyes on the ground.

"I know that this feeling of being cared for is…new for you… But you're _not_ useless!" Sportacus gently strokes with his hand along the villain's waist and smiles softly while he slowly guides him through the room to a door that looks just like any other door of one of the closets "And I'll make you realize that you aren't. Just give me some more time for that… Here we are…" he pushes the button and the door opens. Robbie raises his eyes again and takes a careful look into the small room.

A shower, a toilet and a washbasin.

Everything completely white, of course.

"…I…really never thought that… Well… That you'd have a…bathroom… I mean… I thought…" he laughs weakly "I don't know… I thought that superheroes don't need such…ordinary things…"

Sportacus laughs, as well but corrects "I'm no superhero. I'm just…"

"…slightly above average. And an elf. Yeah, I know!" the villain chuckles "…Well… At least you hid it well…"

"It's not hidden."

"Sportacus. In this airship _everything_ is hidden. _You_ just know where to find it!" Robbie gently taps him on the shoulder and smiles exhausted "…However… May I use your not-hidden-toilet now to get rid of that tea?…"

"Only if you drink another afterwards. We need to keep you hydrated. You're losing much fluid because of your fever…" the hero returns the smile softly and is partly relieved, partly worried that the other agrees with a short, weak nod without any hesitation.

"…So… Do you…need…"

"No!" Robbie blushes violently, despite his paleness, negating the hero's help quickly and with once more averting eyes "…I… I-I can manage…on my own! Don't…worry!"

"Are you really sure? I… You really don't have to feel embarrassed, you know…" Sportacus blushes as well, but he though still refuses to let go of Robbie "…I… I just want to make sure…that you don't…"

"…fall off the toilet?…" Robbie's smile is still weak, but somehow more relaxed now.

"…Yes…" the hero gently strokes his waist again and murmurs "…I just want to make sure that you're all right… I could at least…help you sit down… I could…close my eyes, as well, if you feel more comfortable like this!…"

This offer is more of a beg.

Robbie slowly starts to realize that Sportacus is really _very_ worried about him now…

And since he has already witnessed how horribly confused and frightened the hero gets when he's too concerned or angry with himself, he gently pushes his hands off now and takes a shaking step towards the small room, smiling feebly at him "I'll be okay. It's just one or two minutes… And I'll call you, if I notice that I need help. Promised. Okay?"

Sportacus eyes him carefully, his expression giving away his uneasiness "…Robbie… You really don't have to act strong around me. I can see how bad you're shaking. And it's no shame to be weakened by such sickness. And accepting help…"

"Sportaflop, seriously! I'm not… I'm not refusing to let you help me! I'm still here after all, right?! I just… I just need to…pee. And although I won't argue that I'm not in my best condition, I still guess I can do _that_ on my own…" still smiling weakly, but soothingly he takes another step into the bathroom "…Just wait here… Okay?"

"…Okay…" Sportacus swallows hard, but nods barely noticeably. He can't help himself. The mere thought of Robbie being alone in a room, out of his sight, even if it's nothing more than a thin wall separating them, scares him to the core and feels just…wrong. At least with the other being in his current state. His instinct tells him that he needs to see and hear him at any time to be able to protect him properly…

But on the other hand, he's still slightly afraid of the possibility to scare and lose Robbie again, because of his overprotective behavior…

And he also doesn't want him to believe that Sportacus thinks his condition is so bad that he can't leave him unwatched for one second. Although…this isn't that far from the truth at the moment…

Robbie gives the hero another soothing smile and turns around to enter the small room completely. Then he pushes the button next to the door on this side and it slides shut. Right in front of Sportacus…and himself…

He feels dizzy. And for a few seconds, he just stands there, unmoving. But then he feels the pressure of his full bladder again and quickly starts fumbling with the waistband of his…or more precisely, of the, from Sportacus borrowed pajamas. Once he's finally managed to get rid of them he drops down on the toilet and takes a shuddering breath in, resting his face in his hands. He's tired. And he feels incredibly sick… But at least he can relieve himself now… With closed eyes he forces himself to take deep, steady breaths, but his dizziness only gets worse…

After a few, long seconds the sound of running water ceases.

Another few seconds later he pushes himself up from the toilet, puts his pants back into place and tumbles the few steps over to the sink. There's no mirror hanging above it and…for some reason he's glad that he can't see his, probably quite ghostly like reflection now…

Shaking worse and worse now he starts washing his hands, hoping that the cool water running over his wrists would help against his stronger becoming sickness a little…

But on the contrary.

He retches.

His vision becomes a huge blur.

His hands reflexively grab on to the edge of the basin.

And he hears a low, broken sound falling from his own lips "…Sportacus…"

The next second, he loses his grip.

He vaguely notices that he's falling…

And then his vision goes black again…


	30. First?!

He sensed that something wasn't right.

Even before his crystal went off.

He had already pushed the button to open the door the moment he heard the retching.

The moment it slid open he heard the faint call for him.

The second Robbie's legs gave way and he started falling he was already right behind him, wrapping his arms around him.

Pulling him tight against his chest.

"Robbie!!" Sportacus' hand darts to his throat, pressing two fingers against it.

A pulse!

Weak but steady!

And he's still breathing!

Sportacus lets go of the breath he's been holding until now. Robbie is 'just' unconscious… And burning up, as it feels… The hero swallows hard and needs a few more seconds to recover from the shock. His heart is still throbbing furiously in his chest. Then he bows down to carefully lift Robbie up completely and carry him back to the bed in bridal style.

Very gently he lays him down and props his legs up on several pillows to steady the blood flow to his brain. Then he hurries to get a damp cloth and places it on his forehead, before taking a seat on the edge of the bed again. His own heart is still hammering up to his throat. Until now everything he did was barely more than a reflex and instinct, vaguely remembering what he learned at school. But now that he took care of Robbie this dreamlike state of mind ends and makes room for sheer panic instead.

Robbie collapsed _again_!

His body feels _hot_!

He's sweating _and_ shivering!

He…

No.

Sportacus closes his eyes and takes deep breaths, forcing himself to calm down again. He won't be any help for his friend if he drives himself crazy with concern now.

He _has_ to try to remain calm and keep cool.

Not for proving his teachers that he can do it and deserves his graduation.

For Robbie.

For the man he loves…

This thought calms him. He knows Robbie is strong. He has proven that on multiple occasions already. And as dramatically as it may appeared when he just broke down again in the bathroom…it has 'just' happened because of his circulation which wasn't able to cope with the immense strain of getting up and moving around shortly after his brain worked so hard to show him some of his original memories…

What he _should_ worry about, however, is the villain's still rising temperature…

"…Robbie…" whispers the hero lowly while he very gently cups his cheek and starts caressing it with his thumb "…Robbie, wake up…"

No reaction.

"…Robbie, please, wake up…"

A light movement behind his eyelids.

A low groan.

Robbie slowly opens his eyes and they move around for a moment before they fix on the hero's face. His voice is strained and barely above a whisper "…Sportacus…"

"Hi, Robbie," he smiles weakly and keeps stroking his cheek with one hand while taking and gently squeezing Robbie's with his other one.

"…Hi…" the villain returns the smile feebly and leans more into the hand on his cheek "…What…happened? …I… I was standing at the…sink and then…I blacked out…didn't I?…"

"Yes… Your circulation collapsed…"

"…Why?…"

"You strained yourself too much… But don't worry. These things…happen…" Sportacus is surprised by his own completely calm voice, but he's also thankful for it "…How do you feel?…"

"…C-Cold…and…sick…" Robbie swallows hard and suddenly retches weakly. Gasping, he turns on his side, trying to push himself up. Sportacus reacts quickly, wraps his arms around the trembling, convulsing body and pulls him up and with his back against his own chest, running his hands over the villain's chest in a soothing manner "Shush. Easy, Robbie. Easy. It's okay. Try to breathe through this…"

"…I-I…can't…" his hands are scraping against the sweat wet top of his pajama in a case of panic, and he's still retching weakly.

"Yes, you can," contradicts Sportacus softly but firmly and takes both of Robbie's hands in his own to gently press them down on his hectically heaving and sinking chest "See? You're already doing it. And you're doing great. Just keep on breathing. The nausea will cease again, soon…" he bows his head down a little and presses his own cheek against Robbie's hot one "…Shush…"

Robbie closes his eyes and tries to follow Sportacus' advice, focusing on his own breathing and the cool cheek against his.

It's a somehow soothing feeling…

"…Very good…" murmurs the hero when he senses that the villain's breathing has calmed down again "…Do you feel any better?…"

Blinking, Robbie opens his eyes and looks down on their, now entwined hands, still resting on his chest "…Yes… Just a tiny bit sick and…still cold…"

"Good," Sportacus can't help himself, he presses a quick kiss on the villain's cheek, before praising lowly but seriously "You really did very well. With how little you eat and drink at the moment, and how much fluid you're already losing because of your sweating it's important that you try not to throw up, if anyhow possible…"

"…Okay…" right now, after this short but sweet kiss on his cheek, Robbie can't do anything else but agree with everything the hero says, and he leans back a little further, snuggling up against the warm body behind his back. Sportacus smiles relieved and nuzzles their cheeks together again "…I'll prepare some tea for you… And we should get you out of this pajama. It's soaked and you'll feel better when you've changed clothes. Warmer as well…"

"…Okay…"

"Robbie?" the hero furrows his brows in a mixture of confusion and mild humor "Are you really all right?"

"…Yeah…" Robbie squeezes his hands, his weak smile audible "…I just… I trust you… I know, I said that before…but now…this information has…sunk into my subconscious as well I guess… I… I didn't bang my head on the ground when I fell…"

"No. I was quick enough to catch you…" the hero places another, soothing kiss, this time on Robbie's hair, not sure whether the other is heading somewhere with this or if he's just still under a light shock.

"…Yes… You were there… I…called you and you were there when I needed you most… You always are… And that is something only _you_ do for me. In fact…you're the first and only person who _ever_ did this for me…"

"Robbie, I'm incredibly happy that you trust me and feel safe, and I'm honored that you believe I am the first person who cares so much about you, but when your memory returns completely…"

"No, Sportacus. Nine is and was an…asni… But…I already know that he didn't manipulate my memory…concerning the lack of love coming from my family…" Robbie's voice is low and he instinctively cuddles even closer against the hero "…That…was real…"

"…Are you…sure?…" Sportacus' voice is low and he still nuzzles his face into the other's black hair, murmuring "…I mean…this could've still been…"

"No, Sportacus," interrupts the villain once again softly "I know you mean well, but…I could sense that this was a real memory. It was slightly different from what I've been remembering until today… But it broke off at the most important part… However… I know now that _you_ already are the most important person in my entire life. No matter as my enemy or…" he blushes even more, and turns his head, trying to look up into the hero's blue eyes "…as someone…who showed me that love actually exists and what it feels like…"

Sportacus can't help it. A lonely tear rolls down his cheek and his voice is slightly broken when he now lets go of Robbie's hands to cup his cheek with one hand while his other one gently caresses his chest and stomach "…I would kiss you now… But I'm too scared to hurt you even more with it…"

"…I would risk that, to be honest…" Robbie smiles weakly.

"But I won't," the hero smiles down on him, strokes his cheek again and carefully lifts the weak body off his lap, easing it back into the pillows while ignoring Robbie's low whine of protest "Rest. I'll set up some water for the tea and then we get you changed…"

The villain nods and watches Sportacus move around his 'kitchen', smiling to himself. He feels protected and except of his light sickness and exhaustion not that bad at the moment…

The only thing that annoys him a little…

"…I'm sticky…" he tugs at the top of his pajama and looks at the hero who returns to stand next to the bed again "…Sorry…"

"Robbie."

"Yeah, all right. Not sorry…" he rolls his eyes and shrugs weakly "…But I _am_ sticky from sweating…and I _am_ sorry that you have to cuddle with me, though…"

Sportacus laughs "Don't worry about that. I told you I'd help you change clothes."

"Yeah, but…"

"And I got another idea…" the hero's smile broadens and he gently strokes Robbie's head again, before turning away once more, heading for the bathroom "Don't move. I'll be right back!…"

Robbie blinks in surprise. He's not sure, whether he's correct, but Sportacus appears much more relaxed now out of a sudden…and this calmness is somehow contagious…


	31. Attached?!

Laboriously, Robbie tries to peel himself out of the sticky pajama top.

It's harder than he thought.

He didn't know that it can be this exhausting to take off a shirt, just because your body is shaking violently and refuses to work properly…

"…For calling yourself 'lazy' all the time you sure are quite bad at sitting or lying still for a few minutes, aren't you?!" chuckles Sportacus softly when he returns to the other, in his hands a huge bowl.  
"I just don't want to appear completely…incompetent…" Robbie crosses his arms, one of them already freed from the shirt, the other still stuck in the cuff, and looks at the hero. Sportacus can't help a small smile tugging at his lips at this sight. The villain narrows his eyes, thinking about any snapping comment on the other's reaction, but then he just relaxes his arms again with a small sigh "…I look ridiculous…don't I?…"

"No," Sportacus puts the bowl on the bedside table and gently pulls the shirt over Robbie's head, smiling softly at him "You look cute. You almost always do."

Robbie blushes lightly, but can't help a smile while he jokes weakly "I'm a _villain_ , Sportaflop! If you want to make me feel better, telling me that I look _cute_ surely won't help!"

"Sorry," the hero smirks and bows down to place another quick kiss on his forehead, whispering "…But you simply are…"

Robbie instinctively closes his eyes at the new kiss to enjoy it as much as possible.

He doesn't know how one can get so attached to something this fast.

Yesterday, he still always became flustered when Sportacus did so much as look at him for too long and winced at every single touch, and now he almost feels real physical pain, if he's alone for too long without the other's warm, protecting body pressing against his own in any way…

It's a 180 degree turnaround, yes.

He's aware of that.

But he can't help it.

And he…doesn't _want_ to change it back…

When the hero pulls back again just seconds later, the villain blinks slowly and stares into the bright, warm, gentle, blue eyes of his enemy.

No…

How could he still try to fool himself after they kissed and after Sportacus is taking such good care of him?!

The hero isn't his nemesis.

He never really has been…

"…So…" after some seconds of silent staring, he weakly gestures past the hero at the bowl "…What are you going to do with this now?…"

Sportacus flashes him a bright smile "Help you get rid of the feeling of being sticky and warm you up a little! Just wait one more minute!" with this, he flips over to the closet near the bathroom where he also took the pillows and blankets from, and grabs a huge towel, several small ones and a washrag.

"Wait, what?!…" Robbie knows his mind isn't working as quick as usually due to his bad condition, but once the hero returns with those items to his bed, he wildly shakes his head "You want to… _wash_ me?! No! No, no!" He crosses his arms and glares at the other.

Sportacus' smile fades and his expression becomes confused "…But…you'll feel better afterwards… And you just said…that you trust me… I… I won't hurt you! You…do know that, right!?…" he eyes his patient worriedly.

"That's not it! I-I mean… Of course I know that you won't hurt me! But… I'm not…old and helpless! Neither am I an _infant_ or something! I can wash myself! I can feed myself… I can…take care of myself!" he can hear the desperation in his own voice and angrily clenches his hands into fists.

"I'm not doubting that you can," replies Sportacus softly, throws the different cloths on the bed and sits down on its edge again, carefully grabbing one of Robbie's hands, unfolding it again "…Robbie, I know that you are no kid. And…no old man who needs care, either… And you have to believe me now that I'm _not_ treating you like one. But I'm treating you like a patient, because that is exactly what you are at the moment. You don't have to show and prove me that you're strong and independent. I know that. I've known you long enough for that, after all," he smiles gently and lightly cups the villain's cheek with his other hand "…But right now, you're my patient and I take care of you, and have and _want_ to try _everything_ that may make you feel the tiniest bit better. And _you_ should try to relax in the meantime. But…if you feel uncomfortable with the thought of me cleaning your chest and back from the sweat, just tell me. I accept that. I'm not forcing you to do…or let me do _anything_! …Okay?…" his smile is still soft and soothing and his thumb is gently caressing Robbie's cheek. The other swallows hard, but nods barely noticeably, before smiling wryly "…I'm just you're patient?… Nothing…more?…"

Sportacus chuckles "Well… If you look at it like _this_ … Of course you are more than that! Although…my old teachers wouldn't approve of this…" his smile fades a little. Robbie tilts his head "Why's that? Don't they…uhm…like…the idea of…two men…"

"Hm?" the hero blinks confusedly, but then he understands and blushes "Oh! No, that's not what I… Well, actually, I don't really…know about that… But what I actually was talking about is the fact of…getting too emotionally attached to a person you ought to save…because it clouds your view and knowledge of what is right and what not and how to help this person most efficiently… That's why…I barely managed to graduate…at all…" he lowers his eyes in obvious embarrassment. Robbie senses the hero's guilty conscience - yeah, you can call it no other way - at once and feels somehow confused, but also angry at these strange teachers of the hero. He rests his free hand on the one of the hero which is still cupping his cheek and explains firmly "That's absolute nonsense! You've always been a hero with all your heart, Sportacus. And exactly _because_ you put your whole heart and emotions in everything you do the kids love you! And I… Look. If you wouldn't have shown me all these emotions during the past hours I'd be dead! I would've never managed to trust you, if you'd be such a cold asni as Nine was! You care and you…love… And that's what makes you unique!" he squeezes Sportacus' hand gently and smiles with a light blush "…That's what makes you a _true_ hero. That's why, even if anybody else besides me in this town would know that you're an elf, it wouldn't really matter. They don't just like you because of the hero stuff, your muscles and your impressive physique. I personally don't care about _any_ of that. You know that I mostly find your constant moving…annoying, actually… No, they… _we_ …I love you so much because you _care_. Right since the first day you got here. Because…in my case…you were the first one to ever do so… Maybe that's…why I was…scared of you at the beginning…" Robbie shrugs weakly and smiles softly now "…Come on now… Prove your elders and teachers wrong…and care for your patient. If you think it's good for me…if _you_ feel comfortable with this, as well…" he invitingly gestures at the bowl, a wry smirk on his lips "…Just…no tickling, please…"


	32. Relax?!

It feels…strange.

Not bad!

Just…really strange and foreign…

Robbie furrows his brows, focusing and trying to pinpoint the feeling that is coming up while he's sitting on the bed on the great, thick, fluffy towel that keeps the bed from getting wet when Sportacus now very gently wipes with the damp, warm, slightly soapy washrag over his bare back, cleaning him from sweat.

But then the movement slows down and finally stops completely and the hero's audibly worried voice sounds up "…I'm not…hurting you, am I?…" The hand on Robbie's shoulder keeping him steady loosens its grip a little as well. The villain blinks in confusion and turns his head to look into Sportacus' concern reflecting eyes "…Hm?… No… Of course not… How would you?!…"

"Good. It's just… You're frowning and the muscles in your back are all tensed up…" Sportacus eyes him carefully "…Does anything else hurt you?"

"No…"

"Or do you feel worse?"

"No," Robbie can't help a weak smile now "It's really fine, Sportacus. I just… This still is so…new to me… I don't really know…how to feel about all this… It's really not your fault!…"

"…I see… But neither is it yours!" reminds the other firmly, then he thinks about it for a second, before jumping from the place next to the bed where he's been standing until now, and onto the bed in a kneeling position, right behind Robbie's back. He can still reach the bowl with the water from here. "…Let me try something…" he now places both hands on the other's back. One of them still inside the washrag, still cleaning away the sweat, leaving behind a mild smell of flowers and a pleasant warm feeling on Robbie's back, while the other hand now starts a careful massage, rubbing and pressing gentle, but not _too_ gentle circles in the tense muscles, trying to relax them a little. "…Tell me if it hurts too much…" murmurs Sportacus lowly, noticing Robbie's light wince when he presses his thumb onto a very hard spot between his shoulder blades.

"…Okay…" mumbles Robbie lowly while breathing through the slight sting at the hero's careful touch. It does hurt a little, but he knows that Sportacus wouldn't do this if he wasn't convinced that he'd feel better afterwards. So he focuses on the warm, wet rag instead and after a few minutes barely registers the slight pain anymore and his head slowly sinks on his chest. His eyes flutter shut and he starts to take deep, slow breaths. For a moment he thinks that he's about to fall asleep again like this, but slowly he starts to realize that this is no tiredness this time, but deep relaxation. Something he can't remember ever feeling before. And something else… To let the hero proceed like this, despite the slight pain he experienced when he started, and give away the last bit of control…he _really_ has to trust him limitless…

A low, long sigh escapes his slightly parted lips.

"…Good?…" asks the hero very lowly without interrupting his work.

"…Hmm…" Robbie breathes out.

Yes.

It is good.

That's what it feels like now.

Not bad. Not strange anymore.

Just…good…

Sportacus smiles happily. He can feel and see the tension leaving Robbie's body. Finally. His massage turns softer now that the villain's muscles are relaxed completely and is more an instrument of showing his presence and reassurance now. At regular intervals he dunks the washrag into the bowl again, cleaning it and soaking up new, warm water. He's long finished with washing Robbie's back, of course, but though doesn't stop before the water in the bowl gets too cold to use.

"…Robbie…"

"…Hm?…"

"I have to stand up and change the water. Okay?" he gently runs his hands over his shoulder blades again.

"…Hm… As long as you come back…" the weak smile in his voice is audible. Sportacus chuckles softly "Of course I will! …Okay, careful now, don't lean back…"

Robbie nods weakly and the hero carefully jumps out of the bed, checks on Robbie's relaxed expression with his still closed eyes, and grabs the bowl with the washrag in it to take it back to the bathroom. Just two minutes later he returns with a second, still dry rag and the bowl, filled with pure, lukewarm water now. This time he keeps standing next to the bed and gently runs the wet rag over the other's back again to remove possible rests of soap.

Once he's finished with this he takes a soft, fresh towel and carefully starts rubbing him dry. Robbie lets go of a sigh that sounds almost like a purr again and Sportacus chuckles silently and places a soft kiss on the villain's hair.

For a moment both of them forget about the serious, not to say critical situation, the villain is currently in. They just enjoy each other's company and light touches.

It's peaceful and relaxing.

And, especially for Robbie that's such a rare or even new experience…

"…Are you…done already?…" the sad tone in the villain's low voice is obvious when Sportacus finally, after over ten minutes of gentle rubbing, puts the towel away again. He doesn't want him to stop. Ever… The hero smiles softly and replies reassuring "Only with one half. Your chest is next… Lay down, I'll get new water," he puts a steadying arm around Robbie's shoulders and the other reflexively leans back and lets himself be eased to lie flat on his back. The hero gently lifts his head again to prop it up on a small pillow, then he turns around.

"…Sportacus…"

He turns back at the soft call at once and looks down into Robbie's grey, now open eyes "Yes, Robbie?"

"…My body…feels completely…slack…" he blinks slowly "…Is that…normal?…"

"Does it feel good?"

"…Yeah… I'd say so…"

"Then it is perfect. And something you definitely needed. And…yes, also normal," he smiles soothingly and gently, shortly squeezes the villain's hand "Don't worry. You're finally relaxed. And that is very good!"

"…Okay…" Robbie returns the smile feebly and his eyes slowly fall shut again.

"…I'll be right back…" whispers Sportacus lowly and leaves once more to change the water. Robbie nods lightly. For the first time now, the fear that Sportacus might leave him for good when he walks away keeps quiet. He knows that he's coming back. Sportacus would never leave him alone for more than a few minutes without telling him before…

His thoughts are calm and he's breathing deeply…

 

"…We had to leave Iceland to protect you…"

The words startle him to the core. And his eyes grow wide with confusion. His voice breaks "W-What do you mean? Protect me? From what? And why just _me_? What about yourself?"

"…It's…complicated, Robbie…" his mother sighs lowly and looks at the fourteen-year old "…We had to…protect you from…some people who were after you…"

"After _me_?! But… But I was only four years old when we left Iceland! What could I have possibly done to upset anybody enough to chase me at this age?! Just me? None of you??" Robbie's head is swirling. This doesn't make any sense…

"…It's not what you…did… You're right, at this age you couldn't do anything…" the woman gently strokes through his black hair, a sad smile on her lips. Robbie nearly winces again. He can't remember that she has ever done something like this before…

"…Then what _was_ the reason, Mum?…" the boy's voice breaks even more now and he can't help but feel scared of the answer.

"…These people…were afraid of what you _could_ do, once you've grown up…"

"…Mum…"

"…Yes… All right… I know you want answers…" she takes a deep breath in "…You… Do you remember all the stories, Dad and I told you and Ray about Iceland and about the…different…people living there?…"

"…Of course I do… But what…"

"These weren't just stories. These things…really happened…"

Robbie stares at her, not sure whether to laugh or cry "…But…not the parts with the…elves and…fairies…and stuff!?"

"Especially those parts."

Now the boy starts feeling really dizzy and his voice doesn't raise above a whisper "…Now you're starting to make fun of me, too?!…"

"I don't!" she grabs his shoulders, her gaze is serious "I mean it, Robbie. Elves and fairies exist!"

"…Whatever… What…" he swallows hard "…What does that have to do with me now?…"

"…More than you realize now… Do you remember that one story about…love between different species and…the children they have?…"

The boy nods weakly.

"…That…was the only story that was…made up… If a fairy…and an…elf have a child…it's no werewolf or kobold…" her voice trails off and her eyes roam Robbie's face and body, before she fixes them on the wall behind him.

"…Then…what _is_ it?…" a low voice in Robbie's mind tells him that he knows the answer already, but he refuses to listen. Instead, his own voice becomes truly desperate now "Mum?!?"

"…You…" her eyes move back to meet his gaze "…It's you, Robbie…"


	33. Panic?!

"…I'm sorry, Robbie. I completely forgot your tea!" Sportacus shakes his head, confused about himself, when he leaves the bathroom to return to his friend again "I'll catch up on it, immediately! Just… Robbie?!" he nearly drops the bowl in shock when he finds the bed empty "Robbie!"

The next second, he sees the villain standing in front of one of the smaller windows, his eyes fixed either on the heavy rain outside or on nothing at all. He has crossed his arms in front of his bare chest and is shivering.

"Robbie?…" puzzled and a little worried because of the lack of reaction, Sportacus quickly puts the bowl on the bedside table and then carefully approaches the shaking, obvious absent villain "…Robbie, why aren't you in bed? You shouldn't walk around in this condition… You're still weakened…and sick…"

Still no reaction.

"…Robbie?…" hesitatingly, he rests his hand on the other's once again slightly tensed back "…Hey…"

Unlike what he has been expecting, Robbie doesn't wince this time.

He just shrugs his hand off and turns away, his eyes fixed on the ground now and his voice low but clear "…I should go now…"

"What?!" the hero stares at him in utter shock and confusion, then he wildly shakes his head "What is this now?! We agreed that you stay here! You're far too sick to take care of yourself at the moment! How do you suddenly get that idea anyway?!?"

"This is none of your business," replies the villain coolly, straightens up and heads for the closed door to exit the airship "Thank you for your help, Sportaflop."

"…Robbie…" Sportacus rarely feels overwhelmed or unable to cope with a situation, but right now he feels like crying out in frustration and desperation. The villain was completely relaxed and at peace. Then he leaves him alone for not even three minutes and he starts to act…like _this_?! He doesn't understand…

But when Robbie manually wants to open the door by pushing the button next to it, the hero reflexively calls "Lock!"

Robbie holds in his move, obviously aware that pushing the button would've got no point now "…You can't keep me here against my will, Sportacus…" His voice is still low, but this time there's something in it that the hero has never heard before. It's…a strange, grave seriousness…almost…close to…a warning… A threat even?!…

Sportacus isn't sure.

But he doesn't really care right now, either.

"Robbie!" with a fluid motion, he easily flips over the other man and lands right in front of him, facing him with open confusion and fear "Robbie, what is _wrong_??" The next moment he nearly winces when Robbie meets his eyes for the first time now. They're…cold. And just like it has been with his voice, the hero has never seen his eyes look like this before…

"What is wrong?! You're keeping me prisoner! _That_ is wrong!" Robbie's voice still sounds this strange. And Sportacus feels his heart breaking again. He can't help but sound hurt "No! That's… I just want you to stay because you're sick and I care about you! How… Why would you…"

"You shouldn't!" Robbie clenches his hands into fists and turns away "You should not care!"

"Robbie, we've been there before!" the hero takes a deep breath, mentally preparing for another one of Robbie's heavy self-doubts "I _do_! And you _deserve_ care and love! What…"

"I _don't_!" the villain turns back again, his eyes not cold anymore but filled with tears and his voice breaks " **I simply _don't_ deserve it, Sportacus!** Why can't you just accept that??? **Why** **do I have to yell at you so you finally leave me be??? Why…** " he stumbles but catches himself, then he presses his hands on his temples and sobs lowly "…Why do I have to be…mean to you…to make you listen…"

The hero is completely overwhelmed. He truly doesn't know what has gotten into the other, but he knows that he has to calm him somehow…

"…Robbie… I _always_ listen to what you say…" very carefully, he rests a hand on the villain's shoulder, but he whines and pushes it off at once, so he keeps trying it verbally "…But no matter that I do, I _can't_ let you leave now! You're…not yourself… What happened when I was in the bathroom? You're all shaken up out of a sudden… Robbie? Please! Talk to me! Otherwise I can't help you!…" begs the hero desperately and takes a very small, careful step towards the other "…Robbie…"

"…You don't want to help me…"

"That's not true! Of _course_ I want to! I'm _trying to_ right now!" Sportacus takes another step closer and his voice softens "…Robbie, did you have another hallucination? Or a nightmare? Or…" His question appears to be unheard.  
"…You wouldn't want to help me, if you knew…" Robbie breaks up and he wraps his arms around himself and slowly shakes his head.

"If I knew what? Robbie. Please…"

He gets cut off by a bright flash and enormous thunder, followed by a low cry, and Robbie slumping on the ground in fetal position, hugging his knees close to his chest.

"Robbie!" Sportacus kneels down next to him at once, and this time he ignores the low cry at his touch and pulls the villain's upper body onto his lap, holding him close to his chest with both arms wrapped around him, taking his hands in a tight grip in his own. Robbie starts to struggle at once. He kicks into the air and writhes and swears and cries for long minutes while the hero nuzzles his face into the tousled, black hair, murmuring soothing words, partly in English, partly in Icelandic, and waits him out…

 

His breathing has slowed down a bit, just like the beating of his heart. But instead he's shivering violently now and his eyes are still fixed on an imaginary spot at the wall. Sportacus is still caressing his hair in gentle strokes, a successful way to calm him that he has started shortly after the villain had stooped struggling against his embrace. His shaking hands are now gripping on to the hero's shirt, so tight that his knuckles turn white.

"…Shush… It's all right, Robbie…" repeats Sportacus once more lowly. But this time he gets a response "…No… It's not…" Robbie's voice sounds as if he's suffering from grave pain and he swallows noticeably hard.

"Of course it is. Don't be scared. You'll become all healthy again, I promise!…"

"…No, you don't understand…" whimpers the villain lowly and turns his head to look up, into the other's eyes "…I… I…remembered…more about that evening…before my family left me behind…"

Sportacus feels a shiver running down his spine. That's what he feared, the moment, Robbie broke down in an obvious panic attack. That's what he has read about in his book. That's what he hoped would _not_ happen to Robbie…

"…Robbie… You're under shock. You're still running a high fever and you're stressed. Don't…"

"I'm not mistaken, Sportacus. That was a real memory. And…" his breathing hitches and he starts to sob again "And you're going to hate me!!"

"Robbie, no. I could _never_ hate you!" contradicts the hero gently but firmly and he soothingly runs his hand over his bare back. But Robbie's crying intensifies again and he starts tugging at Sportacus' pajama top to release some of his desperate anger "You _will_ hate me! Everybody hates me! Anybody I ever met hated me! I-I can't be loved! I… I shouldn't even _exist_!!!"

"Robbie!" exclaims the hero truly shocked and stills his hands "Don't say things like that!"

"But it's **_true_**!" Robbie suddenly pushes himself up, keeps his upper body supported by his arms and strains to look the other into the eyes again "…I'm a monster, Sportacus…"

"Robbie, don't…"

"You'll realize that I'm right…"

"No, I won't, because no, you are _not_!" Sportacus feels angry. Not at Robbie, but at his parents for not showing him the kind of love he deserved and needed as a kid. No wonder he believes these horrible things about himself, now that he's feverish and completely overexerted and confused by slowly recovering his real memory again…

"…Robbie, listen. Whatever your parents told you…"

"I'm a **felf** , Sportacus!"


	34. What?!

'I'm a **_felf_** …'

These words triggered a chain reaction in Sportacus' head.

One that included memories of endless hours of boring classes about politic…and very (far too) rough classes about the biology of different species…and their connection between each other…

He needs a moment to differ between the stories he heard as a very young child and what he learned at school later on, and another moment to extract the relevant and valid information…

"…You're…not human…" his voice is a whisper. But he isn't that shocked about the news, he's shocked to see that Robbie has already curled up on himself on the ground again "…Robbie…"

"I'm a **_monster_**! I'm **_illegal_**! _I shouldn't even exist!!!_ " Robbie's desperate sobs are getting hysterical again and he presses his palms onto his eyes "Why don't you kick me out already?! I wouldn't judge you! **_Do it!_** "

"Stop with this nonsense. You _know_ that I'd _never_ kick you out!" gently, he rests a hand on Robbie's violently shaking back.

That was when you believed me _human_!" the villain writhes as if in heavy pain and tries to move away from the other "Open the door and I'll go voluntarily! I wouldn't…have bothered you at all, if I knew…" he breaks up under even more sobs.

"Robbie, why should I care what you are?! That's…"

"Your folk _hates_ me!!"

"But I'm _not_ my _folk_! I'm **_me_**! And I **_love_** you, Robbie! No matter _what_ you are!"

"No, you _can't_! You can't because you're not _allowed_ to!" Robbie's cries grow even more hysterical now and his breathing is close to hyperventilating "You can't because **_I am a monster_**!!!"

"Okay, that's enough now!" Sportacus jumps onto his feet and bows down to lift the curled up body into his arms, ignoring the protesting whine coming from the other at this. Robbie squirms in his arms and the hero has actual trouble carrying him over to the bed, but eventually, he manages. His hot body barely touches the cover, Robbie already curls up on himself again, even tighter this time, and sobs lowly, with teary and fear away giving eyes "…What a-are you…going to…do to me now…Sportacus?…"

The elf sighs lowly and drops down next to the other "…What I tried to do since I brought you here: help you become healthy again. Although you're really not making it easier to do so when you believe and call yourself a…monster…"

"But I'm a **_felf_**!!"

"It **_does not matter_**!" Sportacus quickly calms himself when he sees the other wince at his slightly louder voice. He can tell that the villain is scared beyond limits. Scared of _him_ …

"…Robbie…" very carefully, he runs his hand through the villain's black hair "…Robbie, you said that you trust me… The knowledge that you're half fairy and half elf doesn't change _anything_ about my feelings for you. I swear. Please, give me a chance to prove that to you…"

"…I'm…a bastard…" Robbie's voice breaks and turns into another sob, but at least he doesn't wince or shrug off the hero's soothing hand this time.

"You are not. Robbie, I know this is confusing and difficult for you now, but…"

" _You don't know **anything**!_ " surprisingly fast the villain sits up and stares into the hero's eyes, their faces mere centimeters apart from each other now, his voice strained and barely above a hiss "You don't. Understand. _Anything!_ "

Sportacus looks into his feverish, hurt, confused and desperate eyes. Their faces are so close now, he can feel the heat coming from his patient. But…he isn't sweating anymore… Robbie's condition is obviously getting worse by the hour and the way he fusses and strains himself surely isn't helping, either… This isn't good…

"…You're right… I don't understand. But I want to. And I need your help for that…" hesitatingly and very carefully he gets a hold on the villain's shoulders, his voice soft and low "…Robbie… I would never hurt or harm you in any way. I stayed in LazyTown, because I wanted to protect you. I stayed _for_ you. And I truly… _truly_ don't care _at all_ , _what_ you are! All that matters for me is _who_ you are. And you are Robbie Rotten. A smart, funny, caring, loveable inventor who tried, but never _really_ tried to get rid of me. Who secretly cares for these children just as much as I do. But in his own special way. Whom…I lost my heart to years ago…" he swallows hard and searches Robbie's, with disbelief but maybe also a spark of hope, widening, still teary eyes and raises one hand to incredibly gently cup his cheek, caressing it with his thumb "…And for me, you'll never be anything else than that…"


	35. Felf?!

"…The people who raised me and brought me here weren't my real parents… They… They were ordinary humans. They lived in Iceland in a small village, close to the border where the realm of elves and fairies meet. They were some of the few humans who actually still knew that these old stories about the…magic creatures are not just stories for kids but for real. And…they knew my father who was…an elf, and my mother, who was…a fairy… They were…friends… And the only people who knew about their forbidden love. So my real parents had a place to meet in secret and away, but not too far away from their own homes - my…adoptive parents' house. The relationship lasted long years… And everything seemed to be all right. None of their own people got too suspicious of the regular intervals when my…mother and father left their realm for some days… They were…happy…I guess… But then…it happened…" Robbie swallows hard and digs his fingers into the soft, fluffy towel beneath his back "…I…happened…"

Sportacus frowns at the villain's choice of words, but doesn't interrupt his careful work of washing Robbie's chest and stomach, cleaning him from the dried sweet, but mainly warming and soothing his shaking body with the washrag. He knows…senses that Robbie isn't even slightly at peace again, nor does he feel that safe and protected by the hero anymore. There's still a small part of him, believing that Sportacus would hate, trick and betray him, obviously. But the hero knows that he has to take very small, careful steps now again to rebuild the villain's trust in him. The very first step he already managed: calming Robbie enough to talk him into laying down and getting some rest. The second one, picking up the washing and careful massage again without the other curling up in another panic attack again, surprisingly wasn't that difficult then, when he started with a few, very light touches of his chest and asked for permission to continue what they started before Robbie remembered another, huge part of his original memories again and freaked out. Maybe he agreed to this relatively fast, because he, despite the hate, he obviously feels for himself…or rather for what he now knows he is, still loves the hero. Just like the other way round…

After a few minutes he then suddenly started talking all by himself.

About what he remembers now.

And Sportacus is listening in highly attentive silence…

"…You know just as well as I that there's a reason why these two species…shouldn't interact like this… When two kind of different…magic mix like this… It's a catastrophe! Eighty percent of the kids don't even get born alive or…die shortly after birth… Often, the mother dies, too! Fifteen percent…are completely…instable. Physically, as well as psychically and…their magic can either be reduced or they don't have any at all…or…they develop into some of the mightiest mystical creatures that there are… And…the other five percent…just disappear…" his voice breaks.

He isn't sure why, himself.

Everything is just…so much…

"…I-I…" a lonely tear runs down his cheek.

"…Shush…" Sportacus gently takes one of Robbie's cold, shaking hands in his own, free one "…It's all right, Robbie. Take your time. Breathe…"

He tries.

He tries so hard.

But he starts sobbing again.

His heart is throbbing and his head aching and he subconsciously starts slamming his head from left to right and back again in the luckily soft pillows.

His voice is barely more than a painful whimper "I…can't… Sportacus…" he forces his eyes open for the first time in minutes and searches the hero's gentle face.

No.

This man would never betray…never harm him in any way…

That's the one and only thing, he _knows_ he can be sure of and rely on these days… "…Sportacus… Please…" he weakly lifts his other hand and rests it on the hero's by the pajama top covered chest "…H-Help me…" He doesn't know how, but he hopes that the other does. That he can save him, like he always does.

And Sportacus does, indeed.

With a gentle smile, he squeezes the villain's hand again, then he climbs onto the bed to sit down cross-legged at the bed head. He places a huge pillow on his lap, very gently lifts Robbie's upper body up a little and shifts closer, until he can put him back down, his head and shoulders now resting on the pillow in his lap.

"…Is this okay?…" asks Sportacus softly when he now looks down into these tired, scared, but still incredibly beautiful grey eyes. A very weak nod "…Yes… Thank you…"

"You don't have to thank me, Robbie," he shortly caresses the other's cheek, before focusing on his work and Robbie's breathing and voice again.

After a few minutes the villain gathers enough strength to continue.

"…I survived my birth. Obviously. And so did my mother. But…they knew that it would be impossible to…keep me. My…appearance would have fit neither into the elf, nor the fairy realm, since I was missing both, pointy ears…and wings… And…they feared what…the Elders would do to me, if they found out about my existence… And since I looked…normal…they asked their only human friends for a huge favor…" Robbie closes his eyes again and one of his hands instinctively searches for the hero's free one. Sportacus takes it at once and squeezes it gently, reassuringly. This calms the villain enough to speak on again, with his eyes still closed and almost completely focused on the feeling of the other's two hands touching him "…The first four years of my life I spent in this village, growing up as a human… My real parents…I got to know as…my aunt and uncle who came over for short visits then and now. They had covered their…inhuman appearance with…wide clothes and…a hat…and magic, I suppose… I didn't notice back then… And one day…they sent a letter… The very next week we were on our way here and moved to LazyTown… My…adoptive mother told me that my real father warned them that someone of the elders…got a secret hint about…a forbidden relationship between an elf and a fairy - something that hasn't happened in centuries - and that they even had an…offspring they were hiding somewhere in the human world… I don't have to tell you how scared the leaders of both realms are of felves… They can become too powerful to control at worst… And there's still no way to define how much, sometimes hidden magical power a child carries within…until it's too late… We…never got to know what happened to my real parents… Since that day I grew up in LazyTown, believing myself a normal human being, just as my…'brother' was… Until the day Ray slapped me, we argued and…my mother…" Robbie's vision blurs even behind closed eyelids and his breathing grows heavy "…told me about all this… That was the day…before… Ah!" with a cry and a painful frown, he presses his arms onto his abdomen. "Robbie!" shocked, Sportacus bows forward and carefully pushes the villain's hands off, to start feeling his stomach. It's hardened.

"…Sp… Sportacus…" whines the villain lowly and grabs the hero's arms, his eyes searching his concentrated gaze.

"Shush. It's all right, Robbie."

"…I-It's…worse than…last time…" gasps Robbie lowly, trying his best not to double over in pain.

"I know, I know… I can feel that…" murmurs the hero lowly and quickly but gently starts massaging the other's cramping stomach. Robbie cries out again and turns his head to bury it into the pillow, his voice muffled now "…I'm…scared…"

The next moment he can feel a nose gently nuzzling against his temple and Sportacus' very low, very soft voice "I know. But I won't let anything bad happen to you, Robbie. I promise. I got you…" the nose gets replaced by soft lips, pressing soothing kisses on his temple and hair, repeating this sentence like a mantra "…I got you…"


	36. Warmth?!

"…Is this helping anything?…" Sportacus very gently presses the pleasantly warm, green stones onto Robbie's stomach and moves them in slow, circling motions, watching the other's still painful expression carefully to be able to react immediate on possible signs that he's only making things worse with this.

He didn't move his position with Robbie's head on the pillow on his lap. He called for his elven medical kit and it appeared out of the secret hiding place beneath the floor, next to his bed. He almost forgot about it…

Until now.

Until Robbie couldn't help anymore but writhe and cry out in worsening pain of his cramping abdomen… Then Sportacus finally remembered the stones and decided to try them, since it couldn't get that much worse with them anymore anyway…

Robbie nods weakly after a few minutes.

His breathing is still shallow and strained, but he opens his eyes to search the hero's gaze, his voice weak and barely above a whisper "…Are those…magic healing stones?…"

Sportacus smiles gently "…Not…really… They get warm very quickly when you hold and slide them along each other and they keep this temperature for hours. Warmth often helps against cramping muscles… I'm relieved it does in your case now!…" he kisses the villain's forehead and continues with the careful stone massage. Robbie nods weakly "…It does… Thank you… I… I really thought…" he trails off and carefully rests his shaking hands on Sportacus', following their motions.

It's calming…

Assuring him that his rescuer is still here…

That this is still real…

"…You're in no danger. I'm here for you, Robbie. I won't let anything bad happen to you. Ever!" repeats the hero lowly but firmly. The villain blinks in surprise about this promise "…But…Sportacus…"

"No. I mean it, Robbie," he looks down into the feverish eyes "I'd rather die than let anything happen to you!"

"That's…" Robbie searches for any words to describe his utter confusion "…It's not your fault that I'm sick, Sportacus… And…you can't… _always_ save _everybody_ …"

"The moment I can't do that anymore, I've failed. And I couldn't live with that. And losing _you_ …" the hero shakes his head, on his face a very strange expression. But then he blinks and it is gone, his voice low but normal again "…Take deep, slow breaths. Stop worrying now. Everything will be all right again, soon…"

"…It's… I'm sorry, Sportacus… I know you're trying…so hard to encourage me, but… It's still…so hard to believe that…" a tear runs down his cheek and he tries to avert meeting the hero's gaze now "…I'm a felf… I'm…one of the fifteen percent that survive their birth and then…grow up with an unknown amount of magic inside them…until it could be too late… I could even be _dangerous_! For LazyTown. For the kids! For _you_!…" he starts to shiver violently at the mere thought of this "…And… And I was so _stupid_! I didn't know, _myself_ , until today! But there were so many _signs_! Like my inventions and disguises and even my…way to change clothes most of the time! How could I _possibly_ not _notice_ during all these years?!?" He squeezes his eyes shut and grits his teeth when his stomachache becomes worse again.

"Shush. Don't fuss, Robbie…" Sportacus gently nuzzles his face into the black hair again in a calming manner, murmuring "…Relax… You are _not_ dangerous, Robbie! …And it's not your fault that you didn't notice…"

"But it was so obvious!"

"Not for any of us. Not even for me, and I'm an elf…"

"But when I was alone in my lair…"

"Robbie," interrupts Sportacus gently and kisses his hair "…Robbie, you couldn't notice… This mental barrier… It shut off every thought that might could've lead you to the conclusion what you are, even before you became aware of it. That's why it felt perfectly normal to you to do all that…"

"…You're just trying to comfort me… But the truth is…I'm just…ignorant…about everything…" his eyes move over his own abdomen and fix on the gentle, but strong hands of the elf who's doing everything in his power to help him somehow…

"No, I don't! Robbie, I'm serious! If you don't believe me take a look into the book! It's all written down there!" Sportacus can't stop his voice from sounding a little excited. Of course he wants the villain to feel better and less self-contemptuous, but… "…I would never lie to you…" his voice sounds slightly broken and desperate. Robbie moves his eyes up again to meet the other's gaze "…I know… I'm sorry… It's just…" he breaks up in a low sob.

"It's too much to progress right now. I know. And I understand… It would be too much for nearly everybody, I guess…including me…" seeing Robbie this hurt and broken truly tears Sportacus gentle heart apart and with this, the suppressed anger comes up again and his voice involuntarily turns into a hiss "…I swear, if I'm ever going to see Nine again…"

"N-No," still sobbing, Robbie tightens his grip on the hero's hands.

"But it's _his_ fault that you are in this danger now, because of this stupid mind-barrier! He…"

"…No…" Robbie's sobs die down and his voice becomes even lower now.

"What 'No.'? Of course it is!" Sportacus can barely contain himself "If he…"

"He didn't…" the felf swallows hard, almost as if in even more pain now, and the next words are barely loud enough to be heard "… _I_ did…"


	37. Mind?!

"… _I_ …did…" repeats Robbie once more, even lower this time, when the hero doesn't react except of freezing in his motion and staring down at the villain.

The felf returns the look for a few more seconds, before he averts eye contact again.

Just now Sportacus snaps out of his shock and he slowly starts shaking his head "…No… You didn't," his hands pick up the massage again. Robbie blinks in surprise and looks at him once more, his voice the tiniest bit stronger now due to his puzzlement "I did."

"Robbie…"

"Sportacus. I really did."

"Robbie. If Nine manipulated you, he probably put these wrong beliefs into your mind as well," explains the hero softly and moves one hand to gently caress the villain's cheek. But the other weakly shakes his head "He did not. Sportacus, I _remember_ now! I…" he swallows hard and his hand follows the hero's to his cheek, grabs it and squeezes it tightly, (mostly) searching for mental hold "…After my mother told me what I truly am…I…freaked out. I was scared…of myself… The way my mother explained it, it was obvious that I was a danger for everyone. And I…finally understood why my parents…my adoptive parents…rarely ever touched me. They feared my…power… Whether I actually got any besides the inventing, or not… After all, one can never tell, if, when and how much power felves develop over the years… And Ray just hated me, because I was the reason they had to leave Iceland. And I wasn't even his actual brother… He knew everything and though had to keep it a secret…" a tear runs down his cheek "…The moment they agreed to take care of me, the moment I started ruining their life…"

"Robbie…" Sportacus kisses his forehead again. He still believes that Nine manipulated the poor villain in a way, but hearing Robbie talk like that feels like a stab in the heart.

"Robbie, you didn't ruin anything. You've been an infant. And you've been in danger. They adopted you to help their friends and to protect you. They must've known that it would not be easy. But they decided to do this, though. And the fact that they even left the country and moved here instead so you'd be safe is a proof that they must've loved you! …Even if…they were…scared to touch you… They _cared_ about you, Robbie!…"

"…Yes, I… I understand that now…" more tears join the first one and Robbie's voice is still more of a whisper "…And I…loved them… They were the only family I ever had, and no matter how strange it was and how much Ray and I fought, I still…" he's sobbing lowly now, his body convulsing slightly "…I was so terrified of what I could do to them if I lost control!… And they…were, too… When my mother told me all this I got so… Everything was so much. I was scared, angry, confused, sad, desperate… I… I jumped up and started to…yell. And she… She…winced… And at this moment I saw the terror in her eyes. And I realized, the older I got, the more they feared me… I knew that I couldn't…wait 'til they became entirely terrified of me…or…'til I…actually…hurt either of them… So I…begged them to leave…" Robbie can't help it anymore. He nuzzles his face closer to the comforting hand of the hero, squeezes his eyes shut and sobs heartbreakingly.

"…Shush…" Sportacus keeps massaging his abdomen with one of the stones after placing the other right over his navel, his other hand keeps stroking Robbie's cheeks and gently removes the tears "…And they…did?…"

"Hmhm…" the felf nods weakly with still closed eyes, his voice sounds strained and tired but also incredibly sad "…It took some convincing… My…mother refused to leave me behind at first… But she knew that I was right. We couldn't…live like this any longer… Especially not now that I…knew… Ray was happy to get back to Iceland, although he planned to leave us on his own soon, anyway, and my…father agreed that I was old enough to take care of myself… They left everything behind and left the very same night. I guess…it was easier like this…for all of us… That night I… I was a crying mess. I laid down in my bed and screamed and struggled with my own decision and then I…got an incredible headache because of this and pressed my palms on my temples and…I wished that I could just forget the past twenty-four hours… And the wishing…became so…focused… I… It's hard to explain, but I was so concentrated on forgetting about this…it was the only thing I could think about after a while… Then I must've fallen asleep… I remember that I was incredibly exhausted before… And when I woke up…"

"…you couldn't remember anything about all this and didn't know why your family was gone…" murmurs Sportacus lowly, completely shocked. It sounds wild but…it is possible. And in this situation…it was very likely even the only possible explanation… Now, even the hero has to swallow hard…

"…Yes…" Robbie nods weakly, opens his eyes again and searches the elf's gaze "…And I felt so incredibly sick and exhausted…"

"…You actually did it… You… You created a wall around this memory in your _own_ mind…"

"…And when I met you, it slowly started to crumble…" Robbie tries a very faint smile.

"…Yes…" Sportacus nods slowly.

"…Does that mean… Now that I can remember all of this again, even that I did this to myself…the headache will disappear now?…" the villain barely ever really dares to hope, but now he can't help it. The hero nods, still slowly "…Yes… I think so… Just give yourself some more time to recover and drink a lot…"

"…And the…hallucinations?…" fear swings along in his voice "…I'm not entirely sure, but I…guess, I had them even before…that night…"

Sportacus sighs lowly and runs his hand through the black hair "…I wish I'd know… We'll just have to wait and see, I guess… Maybe they got caused by this barrier…maybe there are…other factors…"

"Name it. They could be caused by my…felvish nature… Right?…"

"…Possibly…" Sportacus kisses his forehead again "…But let's not think about that for now. I'm here with you. If anything like this should happen again, I'll be there and I'll help you snap out of it again. Don't worry. And I promise we'll take care of this as well, once you feel a little better again. But for now, we have different priorities…" the hero's eyes move to Robbie's stomach "…Does it still hurt?…"

"…Just…a little… These warming stones are really helping a lot. But…" the villain swallows hard "…I start to feel a little…sick again…"

"You shouldn't fuss. It would be best if you try to sleep for some hours…" Sportacus gently smiles down on his friend and very carefully starts massaging his temple with two fingers, his voice low and soft "…I'll be here when you wake up. I promise. I'll watch over and protect you, Robbie. With my life, if necessary."

The felf smiles weakly and closes his eyes "…You heroes… Always a dramatic touch…" but then his expression relaxes slowly, enjoying the two careful, calming massages immensely and his breathing slows down when he mumbles lowly "…Thank you…Sportacus… For everything… I really don't…know…how I could ever…make this up to you…"

The hero smiles softly and replies lowly, with audible relief "Just become all healthy again. That's all I wish for…"

"…I'll…give my…best…for…you…" Robbie's voice is a sleepy whisper already.

Sportacus smiles softly, more to himself and whispers back "I know you will…"


	38. Genes?!

Robbie is a felf.

Half fairy, half elf.

That explains so much…

For example why he eats so much candy. Most fairy types get their energy from sweets or pure sugar even. That's why Robbie probably never even gets sick, no matter how much sweets he consumes… So that part, he obviously got from his mother.

Then there's the fact that he can be incredibly tired and sleepy one minute and seemingly uncharacteristic agile the next. If there are actually two kinds of different magic…battling inside of him about which is superior (at least in the moment), and he's, albeit subconsciously, suppressing this most of the time, it's no wonder that he's tired on one hand and too stressed to sleep on the other hand. And when he's set his mind on something he can be very persistent and puts all his energy into it, if he really wants to…

Sportacus sighs lowly.

He can only imagine how exhausting and difficult it is to be a felf with two similar but still different kinds of magic floating inside you. Even more so when you have no idea about this your whole life up to this point… Robbie isn't aware of how strong he really is… Neither of how beautiful and cute…

The hero blushes at the last thought.

But it's a happy blush.

Robbie is finally sleeping peacefully, tightly wrapped up in several fluffy blankets, completely surrounded and propped up by pillows, lying on his side, a very soft, relaxed expression on his face.

He really looks like an angel…

And Sportacus is sitting sideways on the bed, watching the other sleep and then and now stroking through his hair or feeling his forehead or just touching the still heated but soft skin on his cheek to signal him that he's still right there and won't leave him…

Ever.

He spends minutes like this. Completely unmoving, except of his hand.

Minutes turn into hours.

And the hero is still thinking about the new revealed truth about the town villain. The information is slowly sinking in, deeper and deeper and no matter that this doesn't change anything about his feelings for Robbie and that he'd never think any less of him because of what he is, the hero can't help but wonder for a few minutes if it's possible that he got attracted to the villain this fast because…of his mystical aura…

But then he looks into Robbie's face with the rare but cute smile again and he gets reminded of the _real_ reason for his feelings. Robbie is just incredible. He's smart, he's caring, he's fun, he's lovable, he's… He could continue with this listing for hours.

The short answer to this is: Robbie is Robbie and with this unique.

And Sportacus loves him.

And this is the only truth that _really_ matters.

The hero smiles relieved.

His positive elvish nature promises him that everything will become all right again now. Robbie will recover completely again. He'll take care of that!

But…Sportacus has been living among the more…realistic thinking humans long enough already to be reminded of what he read in the book now. Even with the mind barrier gone now, Robbie could still suffer some…aftereffects of it at worst… For example the sudden upcoming of strong emotions that got suppressed along with the memories. That doesn't sound that bad now, but he could experience a mental breakdown, if these feelings grow too strong. And in his recent condition this danger is even bigger now…

And there are more things Sportacus is worrying about.

For example: what would either his folk or the fairy folk have done to the infant, if the human family had not agreed to raise him as their own, human son?

He really doesn't know.

At school, their teachers told them that there are as good as no bonds between these two species anymore, since they now know about the high risks, if they happen to get a child. Back in the old times that was different. Even if the lovers knew that their child would be taken away from them and…killed, if the elders found out what it was, they took the risk and tried to hide it…

Sportacus frowns when he remembers the words of his history teacher:

"But over the generations, the people became more reasonable and aware of the great danger bonds like this could cause for either world. Meanwhile, there are as good as no bonds between our species and with the few that there are, the children, if there happen to be any, die shortly after their birth or don't even get born alive."

And Sportacus' murmured "…That's awful…"

"That's nature. And next time, raise your hand, Sportacus."

Sportacus raised his hand.

"Yes?"

"…But…what about the children who _do_ survive today? What happens to them? They don't…get killed anymore, do they!?"

"As I said, there are rarely bonds anymore and _if_ some partners of different species do bond, the chance of the death of the child is close to one hundred percent."

"But if a child should _survive_ …what happens to it then? The Elders wouldn't _kill_ it anymore, would they??"

"Of course not, Sportacus! These were very dark times. For both, elves and fairies. We're all far beyond that now! But…of course they'd have to take care of the danger this child holds. For the safety of all of us."

"And what…"

"That were enough questions for now, Sportacus. Back to our actual topic…"

 

What would they have done to Robbie, if they ever found him?…

What if Sportacus would've followed his actual order and brought him to the elders? Would they have recognized what he truly is? And what if they did?

Or…did they already _know_ and that's why they sent him to catch the villain? But after so many years?…

Too many questions and too little chances of finding the correct answer by just thinking about it long enough now…

But _if_ the latter really is true…then the elders will send another hero to fulfill Sportacus' task. And what would he do then? Protecting and covering up for Robbie would mean to fight against his own folk…battling against another hero at worst. Physically even… Could he really do that?…

The other option would be to…

His eyes roam the weakened body of the felf.

No.

What is he thinking?!

This isn't even an option!

He'd do everything that is necessary to protect Robbie!

 _Even_ if that meant fighting against his own kind!…

But…he should try not to think about a possible worst case scenario yet…

 

He sighs mutely and gently caresses Robbie's cheek again. The villain starts to smile very weakly without waking up and breathes out longer one time, before picking up the usual rhythm again. The hero can't remember ever feeling this happy about seeing someone breathing normally and steady…

He watches the felf for some more minutes, then he carefully adjusts his blanket again and stands up from the bed. Barely able to take his eyes off of the other. Sportacus won't leave the airship of course. Not even the great room because of what happened the last time he did, but he has to figure out how to further help Robbie best and he has to prepare something to eat that hopefully will suit both parts of the felf's magic genes and help calming his stomach as well… No easy task, but he senses that he still got some hours left before Robbie wakes up again and…he above all people should be able to find something healthy to eat even for his special friend, right?!…


	39. Rise?!

He hasn't felt this pleasantly warm in days.

And he feels surprisingly calm as well…

With a small yawn, Robbie blinks his eyes open and the first thing he sees is Sportacus' typical, happy, soft, cute smile, right in front of his face, and he can't help but return it instinctively. "Hey…" Sportacus' smile brightens even more and he very gently strokes Robbie's cheek with his thumb, his voice barely above a whisper "Good morning, Robbie. How are you feeling?"

The other shortly closes his eyes at the loving touch and murmurs "…Better… Much better…" he opens his eyes again and smiles at the hero "…Thanks to you…"

"I didn't…really do much…" admits Sportacus with a sad smile.

"Are you kidding?" Robbie manages to suppress an eye roll and nuzzles his cheek closer into the hand instead "You were there for me. The whole time. If I didn't know that you were protecting and watching over me I would've never managed to even fall asleep! …By the way… For how long?"

"You slept through the day. The thunderstorm passed just a few hours ago and it's early in the morning…" Sportacus who until now has been playing absently with a longer strand of the black hair now starts to smile broadly again "In fact, you woke up with perfect timing!"

"…I…did?…"

"Yap!" the hero nods enthusiastically and straightens up from the ground where he has been crouching down next to the bed until now to be on eye level with the lying villain "I'd like to show you something! Do you…feel able to get up? I could carry you…"

Robbie smiles lightly and slowly starts to untangle himself from the blankets to sit up between the castle of pillows "…I know it sounds strange coming from me… But I guess a small walk will do me good…" he blushes a little "…Just…support me, please…"

"Of course!" Sportacus obviously is barely able to contain his happy excitement and offers the felf his hand at once. Robbie hesitates for just a few seconds before putting his own hand into it, blushing even more now. The hero carefully helps him to get up and out of the bed and puts one of the blankets around his shoulders again to keep him warm, before lightly putting his arm around the villain's waist to keep him steady. Robbie reflexively leans on the smaller man's shoulder as well, and feels another warmth spreading inside of him that definitely doesn't come from the fluffy blanket.

"Okay?" Sportacus smiles at him and very softly, soothingly squeezes his waist. Robbie nods once and relaxes noticeably. He knows that he can trust the elf and feeling him this close, their sides touching almost the whole time, is one of the best and most calming feelings in the world for him…

Very slowly, they walk over to the opposite end of the airship which is the cockpit with the huge windows. On their way Robbie becomes aware of several things he missed until now due to his constant fight against exhaustion, sickness and pain during the past one and a half days. The first thing is that they're both only wearing socks on their feet. Robbie in purple and Sportacus in white, and that the floor of the airship feels pleasantly warm, though, so he guesses that the hero got some sort of radiation system installed beneath it. The next thing he notices is that the lights are still turned on, but on a very low level, so it's not that bright anymore as the ship used to be all the time. And at the last thing he realizes as soon as they're close enough to the windows he winces slightly.

"It's all right," assures the hero quickly and strokes the felf's waist again "We're safe. I promise you, this airship won't ever crash just like that. And I'll land it again right away, but first I wanted to show you something…"

"…Couldn't you…have shown me that on the _ground_?…" murmurs Robbie lowly and reflexively tightens his grip on the hero's shoulder.

"No," Sportacus gives him a soothing smile and his eyes reflect a mesmerizing warmth "Trust me, Robbie. It's safe. And worth it! But…if you feel very uncomfortable, I can land right away again. Just say so. But remember, I wouldn't do anything that might endanger you…"

This statement actually relaxes the villain and he nods lightly "…Okay… We can stay…"

"Good," Sportacus smiles happily "Then we'll just have to wait a few more minutes. Lean on me more, if you like to. And don't be scared now… Lights off!"

The next moment they're surrounded by complete darkness again and the felf instinctively shifts a little closer to the hero.

A few minutes of silence pass.

They can sense and hear each other's even breathing and feel the warmth where their bodies are touching, and Robbie figures that this is already worth being up in the air…

But it gets better.

After a few minutes he suddenly notices a faint, red light starting to spread from the tip of the mountains ahead over the whole landscape.

The sunrise.

Robbie involuntarily holds his breath. He's seen multiple sunrises already of course (especially because of his unsteady sleep pattern) and he always liked them. But watching this natural phenomena from up here in the airship is something else, entirely!…

"…It's beautiful…" his voice is a awestruck whisper and he subconsciously presses his body even closer to the hero's.

"It is, isn't it?" whispers Sportacus back and starts stroking the felf's waist again "…I'm glad you like it…"

"I do! I love it! It's one of the most beautiful…" Robbie breaks up when he turns his head to look at the elf next to him. Sportacus faces him now, too, surprised by the unfinished sentence and they just stare into each other's eyes for long seconds.

"…It…truly is…" murmurs the hero absently, with his eyes still fixed on the villain. A small smile tugs at Robbie's lips and the next second he whispers barely audible "…I wish…I could kiss you now…"

Sportacus feels another wave of happiness washing through his body and he very gently turns the felf around so they're standing right in front of each other, his voice and smile soft "…Well… Technically, your mind barrier is gone again now… And I highly doubt that we'd make anything worse with it now… So…" his free hand comes up to rest on the other's still warm cheek and gently signals him to bow down a bit, before he slowly bows forward with closed eyes and very softly and lightly presses his own lips onto Robbie's.

For a split second the hero regrets that Robbie is missing the last part of the sunrise now like this, but this feeling soon vanishes and gets replaced by incredible joy when the felf starts to kiss back just as softly.

There will be more sunrises to come. And Sportacus hopes that they'll experience most of them together.

But Robbie was right.

They're by far not the only beautiful thing right now, anymore…


	40. Heaven?!

Maybe he died and went to heaven.

That would be an explanation for the unrealistic appearing scenario now.

And maybe even for his swirling head…

But if that's the case then he will stay here gladly!…

Sportacus' lips are so incredible soft and yet calming strong, guiding Robbie's own, trembling lips through the kiss in a very gentle manner while the hero's thumb carefully strokes his cheek in as well soothing circles.

The villain has closed his eyes at the very first contact and melts more and more into the kiss with every passing second. He's glad that the hero's other hand is still resting on his waist and keeping his body steady. One of his own hands is still holding on to the elf's shoulder, needing the support now probably even more than before. His second hand is dangling at his side for a moment, but the longer the kiss lasts, the more grows the urge to hold on to reality with this one as well. So after several seconds, Robbie raises it and can't help but dig his fingers into Sportacus' pajama top, his grip almost so tight as if he wanted to make sure that the hero won't suddenly break the kiss and flip away from him…

But the elf doesn't even think about this of course.

He's too far gone in the kiss, but at the same time all of his senses (except his sight, since his eyes are still closed) are focused on Robbie to make sure that he's all right.

Like this he notices the light tug on his shirt and that just a few seconds later, Robbie's breathing slows down a bit more. He nearly smiles at this. The felf is just incredible cute and lovable. And right now, Robbie's tough, acted careless facade crumbles completely and reveals his true, insecure, vulnerable soul and the great, soft heart he tried to hide for so long. Not always with success, but which Sportacus, and the kids, too, were very well aware of, though…

Robbie's mind is blank.

The only things he's aware of are the hand on his cheek and the lips, moving in sync with his own.

But that's more than enough.

He can't help a low whimper when after long and yet far too short minutes the hero slowly pulls back again.

"…Shush…" Sportacus is still stroking his cheek, his voice soft "…Robbie…"

Slowly, almost reluctantly, the felf opens his eyes again and looks into the hero's smiling face. He blinks slowly, his lips still tingling pleasantly from the kiss.

"…Sportacus…" he's surprised by his own weak voice and the way his vision blurs on the edges "…Why…did…you…stop?…"

"We should take you back to bed. You're shaking," replies the elf softly while still stroking the other's cheek and waist "That was enough exhaustion for now."

"…Says…the sports-elf…" Robbie smiles weakly, but becomes aware of his own heavy trembling just now.

"Overexertion is never good. And in your current, weakened condition even less," explains Sportacus in a serious but still soft tone, then he bows down and carefully picks Robbie up bridal style. The villain strangely isn't even surprised by his action, he just puts his arm around Sportacus' neck and smiles at him with a dreamy expression, his voice an absent whisper "…That was…real…"

The elf returns his smile and nods "Yes. It was. It still is."

Robbie can't help it, he leans in closer and presses a quick kiss on the hero's cheek. When he pulls back, he blushes heavily and murmurs "…Thank you… For…showing me this beautiful…sunrise and for…the…kiss…"

Sportacus chuckles softly "You're very welcome, Robbie."

The other blushes even more at this and quickly buries his face in the hero's shoulder. His temple rests against Sportacus' neck like this and the elf furrows his brows in concern when he feels the radiating heat coming from the villain.

"You really need to drink and eat something now…" murmurs the hero more to himself and when they have reached the bed, he carefully puts the felf down, ignoring his low, protesting whine when he pries his arm away from his neck during this.

"…I'm still not hungry…" pouts Robbie now when he's sitting on the edge of the bed, his arms crossed in front of his chest, his eyes looking up into Sportacus' who's standing right in front of him.

"I know. But you really have to eat," the hero gently cups his cheek again, giving him a sympathizing smile "Please, at least try to."

Robbie struggles with himself for a moment then he gives the elf a fearful glance "…Healthy?…" At this, Sportacus smiles gently "Let's say, I found a compromise… Since you're half fairy, I'm meanwhile certain that you get most of your energy by eating sugary food like for example candy. So sugar actually _is_ healthy for you. But… You're also half elf… So then and now you really should eat some Sportscandy as well… It's like… Your body functions with two types of energy… Like…a motor that runs on… I don't know… Gasoline and…" he shrugs helplessly "…You know I'm not that good with technology…"

"…You mean… Like a hybrid propulsion?…" Robbie titles his head.

"Yes! That's it!" the hero smiles relieved "So you do understand. Good! We can and should talk about this more detailed once you feel better again… But for now it would be enough if you ate what I prepared for you. And don't worry, it's _nothing_ involving Sportscandy yet," he gently strokes the felf's cheek again, searching his uncertainty reflecting eyes "…So… What do you say?…"

Robbie bites his lower lip and furrows his brows a little "…Well… I guess, I…could at least…give it a try… I…owe you at least that much, right?!…" a wry smile.

"Robbie, you don't owe me anything. But I'm really worrying about you and I'd do anything to help you become healthy and feel better again. So I'm really happy that you agree to try it!" Sportacus gives him his characteristic enthusiastic and encouraging smile and presses a short, soft kiss on the other's forehead, before turning around to head for the cockpit "But let me land the airship first, okay?"

Reflexively, Robbie holds on tight to the edge of the bed, he's still sitting on "D-Do you have…any…safety seat belts?…"

Sportacus turns back to him at once, mutely rebuking himself for being so careless while smiling at the felf soothingly "You really don't need any. You'll barely notice the movement. And I promise I'll be extremely careful."

"…Okay…" Robbie lowers his eyes "…I'm…sorry…I'm such a crybaby…"

"Oh, Robbie…" sighs Sportacus lowly, returns to the bed and sits down next to the other, their sides touching, and gently wraps an arm around him "Don't apologize. You're no crybaby. Fear is nothing to be ashamed of…"

"You can say that. You're never scared!" the felf sniffs lowly and looks away, mumbling "…Remember that time, when I dressed up as a dinosaur to scare you?!…"

"Yes. That was fun and the kids learned a very important lesson."

"That…wasn't really my intention…" Robbie sighs lowly.

A few minutes of uneasy silence pass…

"…It's not true…"

"…Hm?…" Robbie wipes the tears away with the back of his hand and turns his head to look at the hero, surprised by his strange, broken voice.

"…That I'm never scared… It's not true," Sportacus swallows noticeably and looks the villain into the eyes "Usually, when anybody of my friends is in danger, I have no time to feel scared for their health, that's true… But since the moment you sent me that letter and I saw how unhealthy and unhappy you looked, I am incredibly scared. And with each time you break down or are in pain again, I feel more scared…" he very gently squeezes the felf's shoulder "…But I need to suppress this as much as possible, otherwise, I might start to panic and then I wouldn't be able to help you anymore… Do you…understand?"

Robbie doesn't feel able to reply anything, completely overwhelmed by this confession. He just stares at the hero. Sportacus returns his gaze and searches for the right words to explain this further "…At school…we learned that we should never emotionally engage with anyone we might ever need to save… Because otherwise, we couldn't be able to act objective and…correct anymore… I never…fully understood this… I figured that you could only spend hope and emotional comfort, if you were able to feel and with this understand the pain of the person in need of help… I still believe this is right. But…when you broke down with no pulse…" a tear rolls down the hero's cheek "…Robbie, after I reanimated you I couldn't help a small panic attack anymore. And in this moment I knew _nothing_ anymore! And I realized that if this would've happened just three minutes earlier…" Sportacus breaks up, pulls his arm back and wants to jump up.

But Robbie grabs his hands "Wait!" his eyes are soft and there's a pleading smile on his lips "…Don't be angry with yourself… Not again."

"But…"

"No," Robbie wraps his arms around the hero and buries his face in the crook of the elf's neck again "I don't wanna hear any of this. You just said that it's okay to be scared. Then it's okay to panic as well. And since you obviously only panic when the danger is over again, I really don't see any problem with this!…"

"But my teachers were right, though!" Sportacus' voice is low and sounds strangely broken. "Yeah, well, there must be _some_ reason why they are teachers, I suppose!? …But… _you_ are obviously just as right! I very likely would not have survived the past forty-eight hours if you weren't as empathic as you always are," the felf's grip tightens "…And…if you say one more word, I'll get a guilty conscience for making you feel bad and doubting yourself…"

"No!" Sportacus quickly tightens the embrace as well "It's not your fault! You're sick!"

"And you are not just a hero but a person with feelings!" Robbie breaks the embrace and straightens up again, a wry smirk on his lips "And…I'm incredibly happy about that!…"

The hero starts to smile a little happier again now and he gently cups Robbie's cheek "…You're amazing, Robbie. And you aren't even aware of this, are you?"

The villain raises his brows "Amazing? Why…"

"Because you are incredible at comforting and finding the right words!"

"Huh… I guess…that's just…accidentally!?" he laughs weakly "Or maybe caused by the fever…"

"Nonsense. That's a talent!" Sportacus smiles and strokes his cheek again "You're far more sensitive than you pretend to be, Robbie."

The felf blushes lightly "And you are pretty good at distracting me. I was just busy with being afraid of you landing the ship and now I'm busy…comforting you…"

Sportacus starts to smile brightly now "Then I should hurry up and land the airship now, before your fear returns, hm?"

"Probably," Robbie chuckles lowly and nuzzles his face closer to the soft hand "…But I'll…hold on to the bed, though…"

"Okay, do that," Sportacus presses a short kiss on his other cheek then he stands up again and flips over to the cockpit. Before he takes a seat behind the wheel he looks back at the villain again and Robbie nods shortly. But Sportacus hesitates for another few seconds before he says with rather uncharacteristic seriousness "Thank you, Robbie."

"For what this time?" the felf titles his head in confusion, but can't help a soft, happy smile.

"For your trust in me. And for your understanding. I… I don't know whether you know that… But I've never talked this openly about my past with anybody else before…"

"Well… Nobody but me knows that you're an elf, right?!" Robbie smiles softly "…Besides…it's the same the other way round…"


	41. Hero?!

Robbie feels pleasantly surprised.

Sportacus was right, he barely feels the movements of the airship when the hero now starts a very careful and slow landing process.

Actually, the very light rocking during this reminds him a little of his fluffy, orange chair. His… _father's_ fluffy, orange chair…

His _adoptive father's_ fluffy, orange chair…

Robbie furrows his brows a little when he now thinks about all this new information about his past, he's become aware of thanks to the hero's help. In fact, it's not just that his memory has been manipulated by himself until now. He hasn't really been thinking about his family…or adoptive family at all for _years_ …

The first time he really thought about them has been when Sportacus asked him whether he didn't experience love and care through them. Shortly before this whole breakdown-confession-past-pain-evenmoreconfessionsandbreakdowns-kissing-hugging drama started…

He nearly chuckles at this. He would've never thought that such a complicated chain reaction of happenings and actions would result in him and Sportacus confessing their secret…or even until this moment either unknown or suppressed feelings for each other…

With a low, almost dreamy sigh he looks across the room to the cockpit with the hero sitting at the wheel.

It's tempting to believe that all this is just a hallucination again. Admittedly one of the best he ever had (except of the part with being in pain and feeling sick), but he refuses to let this darker assumption take over his good feeling again.

This _is_ real.

Sportacus promised him that it is.

Robbie smiles softly. He feels warm and cozy. Without thinking about it much he lays down on his side on the bed, wraps himself up in the blanket, pulls his knees up to his chest a little and closes his eyes. He feels…happy. No matter that he's sick, he feels almost unnaturally relieved, calm and more at peace than ever. And of course…well protected…

Sportacus backflips out of the cockpit and over to the bed again once the airship is safely landed "Ro-" he falls silent at once when his eyes come to rest on the mild smile on the felf's relaxed face. The hero can't help but start to smile as well. Despite his own rather active nature, he always feels happy when he sees the villain is sleeping, very well aware of the fact that he got severe problems with this, since the first time he saw him…

"…I'm _not_ sleeping, Sportadork…" sounds a low mumble, followed by an even brighter smile and the opening of one eye "…I'm just resting my eyes so I don't have to watch your horrible flying style!…"

Sportacus' smile fades "Oh… I'm so sorry, Robbie! Was it…that bad? You… You don't feel sick now, do you!?" The hero's voice is thick with concern and he crouches down next to the bed, searching Robbie's eyes. The felf rolls his eyes but can't help a touched smile "No. I'm fine. You were right, I barely noticed the movement. It was just a joke, Sportacare," he sits up again, trying to free himself of the blanket "Actually, I was surprised what a careful pilot you are. Each time I've watched you flying this ship, the maneuvers were rather…breakneck…"

The elf sighs relieved and straightens up again, carefully helping the other to untangle from the cloth "Well… It's more fun like that… But I _can_ fly carefully, if I have to…"

"Do you elves always go full speed, if you don't run danger to hurt anybody else but yourselves?" Robbie furrows his brows. He's aware that this sounded rather blaming, but he just couldn't help but feel…worried about the other, and the way he always risks his life in this…horribly dangerous airship… For no real reason even…

Sportacus smiles at this "It's not really that dangerous. I practically grew up with practicing flight maneuvers every day. It was part of our training… But now let me get you your food. Remember, you promised!" with a wink, he flips over to his kitchen - the table, coming out of the wall.

"Yeah… I know…" Robbie shifts a little until he's sitting cross-legged on the bed, then he tilts his head and can't help but wonder "…Training… Excuse me, but…this sounds like…you rarely did anything else but…train…"

"Well, I suppose that's true in a way," nods the hero while cheerfully joggling around with some sort of saltshaker.

"…But…does that mean that school is…that hard for elves?…" Robbie really isn't sure why he's asking all these questions. On one side, he just…feels like talking about anything at all makes him feel…relieved… On another side, he would like to just get to know Sportacus better… And then there's the light, almost fearful wish to understand at least _one_ part of his own original…nature better…

"It…was as hard as it had to be to form proper…heroes, I suppose…" for the first time, Sportacus pauses, a little insecure about his own answer as it seems, and he shortly glances at Robbie, before picking up his work again, trying not to make too loud noises while stirring something with a great spoon he put in a pot before. The felf doesn't really notice the noise, neither does he pay much attention to the rather surprising fact that Sportacus obviously got a single hotplate installed inside the table. His thoughts are elsewhere "…Do all the elves become heroes when they grow up?"

"No. The one that do go to special schools as kids."

"Like you?"

"Yes."

"Did you…" Robbie isn't really sure whether he should actually ask this, but an encouraging smile of the elf pushes him on "…Did you always want to become a hero?…"

This time Sportacus hesitates even longer and his smile grows a little sad "…No, I… Actually, I don't…know… I never really…thought about that before… I just…never had a real…choice…" The villain blinks, now entirely confused "Did your…parents… _forced_ you to go to this hero school?!…"

A shook of the head "No. I'm an orphan. And all the orphans go to these special schools. It's…tradition with us elves, you could say…"

Robbie feels a strange pull in his chest when he hears this and his hands start gripping the blanket next to him rather tightly. "…Oh…" he feels so helpless in this situation out of a sudden. What could he say? Did he make Sportacus sad by reminding him of this tragic part of his life? Why did he have to ask?!

"…I'm… I'm so sorry…Sportacus…" he blinks, trying to suppress the tears of desperation and slight anger at himself "I…didn't know… What…happened?…" the next second he'd love to hit himself on the head. _Another_ stupid, probably hurting question!… His nose twitches a little. Does it smell…sweet? He's probably just hallucinating again… And he really can't think about this now "I'm sorry, Sportacus! Don't listen to me! I… I'm…"

"No, it's all right!" the hero smiles soothingly and shrugs lightly "I'm just not…that sure… The tutors told me that my parents had an accident shortly after my birth… I can't remember anything before the school… Neither did the other kids I guess… We…never actually talked about our parents or what happened to them… We live there and get our training. When we graduate we get send on missions to help people all around the world. And before you ask, my number, 10, isn't just 'my' number. It's the number of our whole generation of heroes…" Sportacus blushes a little "…Usually…we're not supposed to give anybody our real name… I…broke that rule the very first day I got here… I've…never been a real model student…and most of my teachers didn't even think that I'd actually graduate… But I did… As a hero for sports and health education like…Nine was…" he breathes in and finishes the preparation of the food, before he continues "…We sports-elves usually stay the longest in one place to…keep the kids from being lazy… It's a longer process than most other…hero duties are…" Sportacus smiles gently again and takes the plate to carry it over to the felf.

"But why do the _orphans_ get this special training?"

"Well… It's…logical in a way. Being a…hero isn't _that_ dangerous… At least here in LazyTown it isn't. But elsewhere… Let's just say… If an orphan hero dies or gets severely hurt, it's one family less to mourn and cry…" Sportacus sits down in front of Robbie, as well cross-legged, and holds him the plate.

"…I don't know…whether I should allow myself any opinions about this… But I think this sounds…cruel…" murmurs Robbie lowly and reflexively takes the plate and the offered spoon. Just now he looks down on the food and raises an eyebrow.

"It appears like this, I suppose," the elf nods and tilts his head, referring to the food now "…Don't you like it?…"

"I… What is it?…" Robbie blushes lightly "…It…smells…sweet…"

"It should," Sportacus chuckles and gives Robbie a bright, typically enthusiastic and cheerful smile "It's rice pudding!"


	42. Rice Pudding?!

"…Rice pudding?…" parrots Robbie while still staring at the plate in his hands.

He tries to recall whether he has ever eaten this before, but if he's all honest his range of experience with food barely goes beyond fast food and sweets like cake and lollipops…

"Yes. You know how much Ziggy loves candy. No matter how often I convince him to eat healthier, he can't get enough of this. And that's okay. I mean it's not really good, but since he's eating Sportscandy as well, it's not that bad or dangerous for him, either… But I wanted to show him some alternatives for pure candy and sweets. So a few days ago I went shopping and bought some rice pudding you have to prepare, yourself. I wanted to prepare it with the kids some time to show them how it's done. It's sweet, but it also gives you more energy than candy and you can also prepare it with Sportscandy like apples or… No, don't look at it like that now. I swear I didn't put any of this in it!" Sportacus can't help a laugh at Robbie's sudden, suspicious glance at the food "But I _did_ add some cinnamon. I hope that's okay?…" he searches the felf's gaze. Robbie nods slowly, still a little overwhelmed and uncertain "…Yes… It…is… Thank you…"

"You don't… _have_ to eat it of course, if you don't feel comfortable with it!" assures the hero quickly, already fearing that his natural enthusiasm urged him to take too quick steps for the understandably still confused and insecure town villain.

"No, I do. I mean… Actually, I don't feel too comfortable with eating _anything_ at the moment… But…since you say that I _have_ to eat something… I guess I can as well give it a shot…" the felf smiles weakly and hesitatingly takes the spoon the hero is still holding for him. They lock eyes for a moment during this and Sportacus understands that this is another, huge proof of Robbie's trust in him… And the hero silently starts to pray that Robbie will like it and, even more important, that his body will tolerate the new, partly healthy, partly sweet food…

Robbie senses that the other is watching him intensely when he now takes the tip of the spoon full of rice pudding and tastes it.

It's warm.

It's sweet.

And it got an interesting, strong, but not too sharp flavor…

Sportacus can't suppress an audible relieved sigh when the felf's expression relaxes visibly and he takes another spoonful. If the villain really likes this food he can try to start coddling him up with this a little, before they do anything else concerning his hallucinations or other problems…

"…I didn't know that you can actually cook…" grins the felf after the second spoonful and tilts his head, now thoughtful "…But obviously there are a lot of things I didn't know about you until now…"

The hero smiles "As it was the other way round. But I truly hope that we can change that while you stay here." He jumps out of the bed again, and starts propping up pillows behind the other's back.

"Hm… That sounds as if I'm going to stay here for…some more…days?…" asks Robbie with a light blush when the elf now gently pushes him back to lean against the pillows.

"If this is okay for you? I'd really feel far more comfortable with keeping you as…close as possible while you're this…weak… You need someone to coddle you up for some time I think… And… Your lair is so…cold… But we can move there, if you want to. Maybe it's easier for you to recover in a more…familiar environment," Sportacus sits back down where he stood up from and eyes the still slowly eating felf. Robbie can't help a happy smile at the thought of being further coddled up by the hero "No, we can stay here. Although I…feel kind of bad for…blocking your bed like this… It really…is warmer here than in my lair and…as long as we don't have to…fly around all day…"

"Of course not! We'll stay down here!" assures Sportacus and smiles softly "And you really don't have to feel bad. I guess we… We arranged that quite well…last night…"

Robbie blushes even more "…Yeah… We…did…" he quickly focuses on eating again and both men fall silent, but each with a mild, happy smile on the lips.

"…Thank you…" with a weak smile, Robbie gives the half empty plate back "…I'm sorry… I don't think I can eat any more… It tastes really good! But…I'm full…"

"It's okay," Sportacus takes the plate and stands up to clean it and put it away, thereby he explains "Your stomach knows best how much it can take at the moment. It's just important that you keep eating small doses regularly, so you regain some strength. And I'm really glad you liked the rice pudding!"

"And I'm glad…that I'm actually this important to anybody…who doesn't seem to get tired to take such good care of the town villain…" Robbie lowers his eyes, obviously a little embarrassed.

"I already told you, you're far more than a villain. And everybody here loves you! …Especially me…" once, he's finished with his work the hero comes over again and sits down sideways on the bed, grabbing one of the felf's hands to give it a soothing squeeze "Don't think of yourself any less than you actually are! …But you were right in one point. I won't ever grow tired of taking care of you, Robbie…" with his free hand, he gently lifts the villain's chin up and searches his eyes, smiling softly "…I love you…"

Robbie doesn't really know why, but he can't help it. He starts to sob and practically falls against the other who catches him on pure reflex, before the felf already buries his face into his shoulder. His voice is muffled "…I… I love you, too, Sportacus… And… And I'm so sorry for all the times I tried to chase you out of town! That was so…mean… And incredibly stupid! I… I-I…" his words blur into another sob. He really doesn't know how to apologize for all these years he's been hostile to the sports-elf…

"…Shush… Robbie… I already told you, it's okay. You don't have to apologize," the hero gently strokes his back, but when the other weakly shakes his head without lifting it from his shoulder, he explains softly "…There were a few times, when I was…angry at you, yes. Because the situation turned out really dangerous for the kids…or even for you… But this only lasted a few seconds. I know that you never actually meant to harm anybody… And most of these times you simply weren't careful enough or didn't think everything through… But the positive side of your schemes and plans is so much more superior! The kids wouldn't have learned half as much and quick if it wasn't for you! And I will repeat that as many times as necessary until you finally believe it! …Hey… It's all right now… Try to calm down. Take a deep breath in…"

Robbie is still sobbing lowly, but he slowly relaxes into the embrace and his heartbeat slows down again. "…You're doing so much for me… Even now that you know that I'm…a…felf…" his body tenses up again and he instinctively holds on tighter to the other "…Sportacus… You… You're not…allowed to…love me… Nobody is allowed to love a felf! You… You already risked so much by disobeying your order and protecting, instead of arresting me! If anybody of your people finds out…that you…" he breaks up and realizes that he's threateningly close to another panic attack. Sportacus senses this as well, and carefully pries his arms away from his own back and holds the now again shaking felf by his shoulders, looking him firmly into the eyes "Robbie. Stop worrying now. Nobody can forbid love. And even if they'd try, they'd never succeed. Your…real parents loved each other. And they loved you as well, otherwise they wouldn't have gone through the danger to hide you with their friends, but abandoned you without anybody to take care of you. And they also risked much each time they came to visit you in the beginning," he gently cups the felf's cheek "…So stop saying that it's not allowed to love you. I don't care, even if this was true. I will _always_ love you. And I will _never_ let any of my people or anybody else hurt you…or separate us in any way. If you…want that of course… I mean…" the hero blushes lightly. Robbie swallows hard and opens his mouth, but no sound comes out for a few seconds. He's completely overwhelmed by the hero's words.

Again.

Finally, he nods and rasps weakly "…Y-Yes… Yes, I want that…" he starts to shake even worse now, but this time with happy excitement, and both his hands come to rest on the ones of Sportacus "…I want…us…"


	43. Gorgeous?!

'Us.'

Sportacus' heart flutters at this word.

He didn't dare to hope that Robbie would manage to warm up to this thought so quickly.

But now they're sitting here, looking into each other's eyes, hands touching…

"…You are…so beautiful…" the words leave Sportacus' mouth before he can swallow them. Robbie blushes violently and lowers his eyes, mumbling "…No need to soft-soap me, Sportaflop… Don't worry, I will stay here…"

"I don't!" the hero furrows his brows in confusion "Why would I… Robbie, you _are_ beautiful!"

"You can really quit that now!" the felf pulls his hands back and folds his arms, his eyes still fixed on the space between them and his voice still low "…Nobody finds me _really_ …attractive…"

Sportacus removes his hands now as, well and just stares at the other for a moment. Of course, he's already been aware of Robbie's self-doubts, bordering on self-hate even in a way, after what has happened here during the past two days, but he had hoped that the other was at least a little confident about his body…

His eyes roam the felf's still bare torso. For the first time intensely. He's pale, which is no real surprise, since Robbie lives underground and he never appears to let the sun touch anything but his face. Due to his fairy/elvish nature his chest is also hairless, just like Sportacus' and although he never actually trains it's obvious that he got some muscles, probably from working on his inventions and traps. His belly, nevertheless, of course is a little chubby, though…

"…You're right…" admits the hero, once his eyes move up to meet Robbie's again, his voice low and calm "…You're not beautiful…"

The felf feels tears coming up, but he nods, in a way relieved that the hero is honest with him now. But the next second he gasps out in surprise when Sportacus suddenly bows forward and presses their lips together for a few seconds. Then the hero pulls back and gives him an honest, bright smile "…You're cute… _and_ drop-dead _gorgeous_!"

Robbie turns a very dark shade of red and wildly shakes his head "Stop it, Sportaflop! Did you even _look_ at me?!" he gestures at himself, especially at his stomach with an almost desperate gaze. Sportacus rolls his eyes, gently pushes Robbie back into the propped up pillows and brings his face very close to the villain's, one of his hands now gently caressing the soft belly he's already been massaging for hours before "Do I really have to spell it out for you? You. Are. Gorgeous. Robbie Rotten. Every. Single. Inch. Of. You."

The villain opens his mouth, to protest again, intending to point out that the hero is pure muscle and everybody would laugh at him, if his partner wasn't as muscular, but the elf cuts him off with another gentle kiss. And he can't help but to finally give in. It's a…weird thought, but he realizes that he should get used to the fact that Sportacus actually likes him…just the way he is…

Once Sportacus senses that the other has relaxed again, he slowly breaks the kiss and studies Robbie's face which reflects a wild mix of emotions now. His hand is still stroking the felf's stomach and his other one now comes up to gently tug a few strands of hair behind the villain's ear. But they keep falling back in front of his eyes and Sportacus can't help a smile. Robbie simply looks adorable with this wild hair and he really hopes that the other won't change his look anytime soon…

But then he notices that Robbie looks rather unhappy again, cups his cheek and asks worriedly "Hey… What is it?"

"…Nothing…" the felf changes his sitting position and hugs his knees to his chest, murmuring lowly "…I just… I feel kind of…messy…"

"…Hm…" Sportacus moves his hand to feel his forehead, mumbling more to himself "…You're still too warm… I really wish I could tell for sure what causes your fever… It's possibly just your exhaustion…and especially your upset stomach due to lack of food…" he runs his fingers through the villain's by sweat slightly sticky hair and smiles softly "…Maybe you'll feel better…if I washed your hair for you?…"

Robbie blinks in surprise "…You… How would you… You don't have to…"

"Would you feel better?" interrupts the hero softly without pulling his hand back. The felf hesitates some more, but then he nods weakly "…Yes… Yes, I…do believe so…"

"Good!" Sportacus jumps up with a bright smile "Then give me two minutes, I'll be right back! And please lay down with your head on the foot of the bed…"


	44. Furniture?!

Robbie has meanwhile gotten used to the fact that Sportacus is still able to surprise him, no matter how long they already know each other.

So he just does as told and lays down, his legs propped up by pillows, his fingers interlaced behind his head, and closes his eyes. He feels…calm. What still is rather uncommon for him… But he takes the chance to think about everything that has happened here until now… And soon he can't help a constant smile playing on his lips when he thinks about how incredible sweet and kind Sportacus was and still is while taking such good care of him. He comes to the conclusion that, in a way, falling sick probably was the best thing that ever happened to him. _Finally_ he's able to understand his own emotions and can even tell for sure that love exists and even how it _feels_ … Whatever comes next… The felf decides to just wait and see.

He sighs lowly and his thoughts drift off further…

When Sportacus returns just a few minutes later with two bowls of water, a bottle of shampoo and a comb, he feels that warm feeling spreading inside of him again at seeing the other so relaxed and smiling mildly. The hero really hopes that Robbie will feel even better once he took care of his hair. Silently, so he won't disturb him, Sportacus places the bowls and the bottle on the floor at the foot of the bed, then he walks over to one of the closets and takes out a small board and four legs of a chair and easily, quickly fixes them so he now got a little stool.

When he now turns back to the bed in his usual lighthearted mood, Robbie is lying sideways on it, his head rested in his hand, a broad smirk on his face. "…Why are you so extra?!" his voice isn't really mocking, it's more of a cute giggle "Only _you_ would store most of your furniture in _closets_ in the _wall_! Most of it very likely even completely disassembled so it will fit in there so you have… What? Enough free space to move around and do your exercises?!"

Smirking broadly, Sportacus carries the stool over to place it next to the bowl "Yes. For exactly that reason."

Robbie can't help it, he giggles even more and turns back onto his back, soon lightly gasping for breath. The hero waits him out with a happy smile, standing at the foot of the bed now as well, looking down on the villain. "S-Sorry!" the felf opens his eyes and looks up into the gentle ones of the other, smiling and lightly blushing again "I…really don't know what just came over me… It's just… Until now, I actually thought that you have no other furniture than your bed and the table and both of it…comes out of the wall…" his giggling grows stronger again and turns into a full laugh this time. The elf watches him with a light shaking of his head. He has rarely seen Robbie laugh, especially this lightheartedly and honestly. It's no comparison to his acted or dark laugh. No, this laugh is bright and cheerful and somehow cute and instinctively and…incredibly contagious.

Soon they're both laughing loud and carefree for long minutes.

But then Robbie has to sit up, now really gasping for breath, his face red and tears of joy running down his cheeks.

"Robbie," Sportacus quickly sits down next to him on the edge of the bed and strokes his back, helping him to calm down and breathe steadier again.

"I'm…sorry! I… It wasn't even funny, I know! But I…haven't laughed this hard in _ages_!" gasps the felf exhausted and looks into the hero's eyes, his voice soft now "…Thank you, Sportacus…"

"I didn't do anything this time," the elf smiles and carefully wipes Robbie's tears away with his thumbs.

"You're there. That's more than enough," the villain's voice is deep serious now, just like his weak smile. Sportacus feels a strange mix of pain and joy in his heart when he hears these words and after swallowing thickly he gently cups both of the felf's cheeks and explains lowly but insistently "I'll _always_ be there from now on. I promise."

Robbie just stares into the gentle, warm eyes of the hero, letting the words sink in, unable to reply anything at the moment. But he doesn't have to. Sportacus can read the happy, relieved thankfulness in his expression, and above all, the trust he's putting in the elf. And no matter how many people Sportacus has already saved or helped to stay save…he's never felt this huge amount of responsibility before. It weighs more than anything he's ever lifted and yet it's completely invisible… He's scared to fail to lift this foreign weight. But he knows that there's no turning back now. He can't. Robbie needs him. But that's not everything… He realizes that…he needs Robbie just as much. He always brings out the best in Sportacus. And not just concerning his fitness. The kids aren't the only ones who learned and _had_ to learn new things because of the villain's schemes. And…Robbie isn't the only one who had to learn how to deal with feelings…

That's something…the hero school most certainly did _not_ prepare the students well for…

"…Come on…" Sportacus places a light kiss on the tip of Robbie's nose and smiles softly "Let me comb your hair first, then washing it will be easier."

The other nods, almost appearing absently, but his eyes are clear and still filled with warm thankfulness. So the hero gets up to stand at the end of the bed again so he's facing the felf's back now and very carefully starts combing through the tousled, black hair, murmuring "…Tell me if it hurts. They're quite knotty…"

"Hm…" Robbie doesn't really care. The slight pulling is nothing in comparison to the pain he experienced in his stomach before. Besides… The gentle way in which Sportacus is running his hand through his hair now, massaging his scalp then and now feels far too good to get interrupted and eases the slight pain down to a minimum…

"That was that…" satisfied with his handy work, Sportacus now puts the bowl on the stool so it's at the perfect high for his usage, then he gently places one of his hands on the back of Robbie's head and the other on his spine "Lean back now slowly. I got you…"

And Robbie does. With closed eyes he leans back and the hero carefully eases him down until he's lying. One of his hands he keeps under the back of the felf's head to support it while it now hovers right over the bowl with the warm water. With his other one he now starts to shampoo the black hair, washing it gently "…Relax…"

And Robbie breathes in…and does…

 

"There. Nice, clean…and dry again!" Sportacus smiles happily. He's sitting cross-legged in front of Robbie, still drying his hair with a towel, although this has turned more into a loving teasing meanwhile.

But the villain doesn't mind at all.

More on the contrary.

Giggling softly, almost childishly, he tries to push the hero's hands, and with this the towel off of his head, but since the cloth also blocks his view and he can't see a thing (and because he doesn't really _want_ to), he fails miserably and his arms flail around helplessly while he chuckles "That's the revenge for all these years I tried to chase you out of town, huh?!"

Sportacus laughs "Oh, no, if I took revenge on you for _that_ I'd try to…"

The hero can't even finish his sentence, because his hand has barely brushed Robbie's side, he already starts squealing "No! No tickling! Th-That's not…" he starts to writhe, still unable to see a thing and laughing heavily by now "P-Please! Have m-mercy!…"

But it's at least one and a half minutes later that Sportacus stops and Robbie figures it's not because of his begging. Gasping for breath, he finally manages to pull the towel off his head and searches the hero's suddenly serious gaze "Sportacus. What…" Robbie winces violently and reflexively shifts closer to Sportacus' chest when he suddenly hears it, too.

A knock.


	45. Knock?!

Robbie feels as if his heart is going to jump out of his chest.

He's clinging to Sportacus really tightly, the knuckles of his fingers turning white with the manner they're holding on to the hero's pajama top. And, although Robbie isn't really sure since when, the elf is holding on to him as well, one arm wrapped around him in a clearly protective manner.

It must've been mere seconds that they're just sitting there in silence until there's another knock at the door.

Then Sportacus intends to get up.

"No!" the felf holds on to his shirt with all the strength he's got left, his voice is a begging whisper and he's aware that his eyes must be reflecting his fear now "Please, don't go! Let's… Let's pretend we're not…here… They… They might go away then…"

"They? Robbie…" with a soft smile the hero gently cups the villain's cheek "You don't have to be afraid. It's probably just one of the kids. They haven't seen me in a while now and they know that I sometimes land the airship here… Just stay here while I'm gonna check. Okay?"

Robbie feels like shaking his head no, but instead he reluctantly lets go of the elf's shirt, hugging his own legs again instead, his voice a mumble "…Be careful…"

Sportacus lovingly strokes his back "I will. But there is no reason to. We're in no danger, Robbie. It's all right."

The villain nods weakly, but his eyes speak volumes. He doesn't know why his entire body is tensed up, and neither why his heart is still throbbing almost painfully. Everything he knows right now is that he doesn't want Sportacus to answer the door. He wants him to stay right by his side to wait with him until whoever is at the door goes away again.

In summary, Robbie wants to hide away with the hero _forever_ to block out the entire world and try to savor this new found happiness in peace and without the constant fear of other people getting between them.

But he knows that Sportacus won't do that. It's simply not in his nature…

Lightly shaking the felf watches the hero walk over to the door and hugs his legs even tighter, telling himself that his friend is right, that there's nothing to be afraid of…

Sportacus can't bring himself to do his usual flips this time, but he remembers to grab his hat from the bedside table and put it on to cover his elvish ears.

He told Robbie that everything is all right. Of course he did. The last thing the weakened felf can use at the moment is even more negative stress. Stress that would be completely pointless as well, because _of course_ , everything is going to be okay and nothing bad will happen!

Right?! Right…

The hero silently scolds himself for his sudden fear that the elders might send someone new to arrest Robbie. This concern wasn't triggered by the felf's obvious panic right now. No. The moment he heard that knock this thought shot straight through his brain, to his heart. And that hurt. But it's ridiculous! Why would they do that _now_ , right?! That would be…

Another knock.

Sportacus is already standing in front of the door, his hand raised to push the button, but he can't help a short glance over at Robbie again. And the other weakly shakes his head, clearly terrified by now, his eyes begging and his face pale. That gives the hero the push he needs. He has to remain calm and strong for the felf! He can't allow himself to be scared!

With a determined motion he presses the button and the door opens.

"Sportacus!"

"Stephanie!" he can't help the audibly relieved sigh when the pink girl smiles at him. Of course she's alarmed at once "Is something wrong? We haven't seen you in days! And you look…tensed up…"

"No. It's… I'm all right," the hero smiles weakly and doesn't really notice that he's blocking the door with his body. Stephanie crosses her arms "I don't think you are! Something isn't right! What is it?"

"Nothing, Stephanie. Really, I…"

"Sportacus, you know that you're a terrible liar. I can see that something is bothering you. We're friends, right?! And friends help each other! So! Tell me what is wrong!? Please…" she looks at the hero with puppy eyes. The elf struggles with himself. Stephanie is right. Usually he'd discuss almost every problem with the kids, especially with her. But…is this situation now actually 'usual'? Probably not. But lying is neither an option…

"…It's Robbie…"

"Oh no… What did he do _this_ time?" the girl rolls her eyes.

"Nothing. He's…" Sportacus hesitates again, but then he decides that it's best to be honest "…Robbie isn't well…"

"…What?…" Stephanie's gaze drops at once and becomes confused "Are you sure? This isn't just…some trick again?…"

The hero shakes his head. "Oh… So he's really…sick? How do you know? We haven't seen him…in weeks I guess…"

"That's a long story… He sent me a message, asking for help. That was…three days ago I believe… He wasn't feeling well at all and…" the elf shortly glances at Robbie again who seems to has relaxed the tiniest bit now that he knows who's at the door, but is still shivering and hugging his legs. Then the hero focuses on Stephanie again "…since then I'm taking care of him…"

"Wait. Does that mean…he's _here_?!" Stephanie's eyes grow wide and she tries to peek past Sportacus into the airship.

"Yes…"

A pause.

The hero studies Stephanie's thoughtful expression and starts to doubt his own decision of telling her all this. Isn't she too young for such a serious topic? And he can't tell her the truth, neither about his own, nor Robbie's true…nature…

"…What exactly is wrong with him?…" she tilts her head, her voice slightly worried now "It's nothing bad, right? He will become all healthy again, won't he!?"

"Of course! He'll be fine! It just…might take a while…" Sportacus won't allow any other thoughts, not even himself, but his smile though isn't as soothing and cheerful as usual. The pink girl seems to notice that, because she now furrows her brows, and asks hesitatingly "…May I…say hello?…"

Once more, the hero hesitates "…I don't…think that's a good… I mean…" he stops, forces himself to calm down and takes a deep breath in "Wait here for a second, okay?"

Stephanie nods. She's a little confused about Sportacus' uncharacteristic insecurity and nervousness, but she knows that worrying about someone who's sick does that to people. Her uncle was even more headless than usual when she caught a bad cold last winter. And the fact that Sportacus even brought Robbie into his airship to take care of him hints that the town villain must have at least something as bad as a cold… So she dutifully waits outside the open door while the hero disappears inside again.

"Stephanie would like to say hello…" Sportacus watches Robbie precisely when he informs him about this. The other is still sitting on the bed, just the way he left him, staring at the elf in what can only be described as a strange mixture of relief and confusion. But now he blinks slowly and murmurs "…The pink girl…"

"Yes," Sportacus smiles softly and bows forward to gently cup the villain's cheek "If you don't feel up to it at the moment you don't have to talk to her. To anybody. But…she's worried about you…"

"…Really?…" a very small smile tugs at the corners of Robbie's mouth. The hero nods "Yes. Of course she is. So… What do you say?…" Sportacus' voice is still low and soft and he carefully caresses the felf's cheek with his thumb, trying to relax him again by reassuring him that he won't leave his side for one minute. He knows that none of this is really easy for Robbie. He has just started to trust Sportacus and learned about his own past and is still very weakened and running a pretty high fever and now he has to decide whether to interact with one of the children that are noisy and sometimes annoying to him…

"…Do you…have another top?… I feel…a little cold again…" Robbie swallows "…And…I don't like when people see me with bare chest… It's okay when you do now, but…" he shrugs weakly. The hero smiles and places a soft kiss on his forehead, understanding this cue "I do." Then he walks over to the closet to take out another pajama top and throws it over to the villain who puts it on at once. After another, encouraging smile he flips back to the door again and gestures invitingly at Stephanie "It's okay, come in. Just…please don't talk too loud… He's…a little…sensitive…"

The girl nods and enters, following Sportacus over to the bed. Once they're close enough, she stops and just stares at the man sitting on the bed for a moment. The villain is smiling weakly and not able to suppress a light trembling as it seems. He's pale and clinging to the blanket he put over his legs which he's hugging close to his chest…

She's never seen him like this before…

"…Robbie Rotten…"


	46. Control?!

"…Robbie Rotten…" repeats Stephanie and shakes her head.

The villain ducks his head a little.

He feels incredibly vulnerable in this position. He's too weak to flee and hide and although he really didn't do anything this time he somehow expects the usual annoyed and reproachful look the children always give him when they discover it's him who caused trouble…

His eyes move to Sportacus, standing next to the girl and his gentle smile soothes him a little. If it wasn't for the calming presence of the hero he would've never agreed to this anyway…

"…This clearly is one of your best disguises ever. You're so pale, I barely recognized you…" the girl smirks and winks. And Robbie…can't help but smile weakly at this. He really doesn't know how or why, but this little joke actually managed to break the tension and he relaxes a little. Stephanie doesn't seem wary or reproachful at all, just genuinely worried when she now steps a little closer, narrowing her eyes while looking at the villain carefully "…I've never seen you sick before…" then she suddenly reaches out and takes the felf's hand. Robbie winces violently, but then he freezes completely and just stares at her.

"Wow, you feel really _hot_! You caught a cold, didn't you?!" the pink girl gives him a sympathizing look "I caught one during the last winter. I felt _really_ miserable… But my uncle took care of me!" now Stephanie starts smiling again and he gently pats Robbie's hand "Don't worry, Sportacus will help you through this! And we will, too! I'll call the other kids and my uncle and we'll prepare some chicken soup! That helped me a lot! You just stay in bed, sleep and drink a lot and let us take care of you, then you'll feel better, soon! I'm going to tell the others!" she gives him a bright, encouraging smile "Oh, and I'll tell them to be extra careful now so Sportacus won't have to save any of us and can focus on you! Don't worry, Robbie! You'll be fit in no time!" With this, she turns around and heads for the door.

Robbie is completely perplex and according to Sportacus' gaze he wasn't really expecting this, either. But he quickly recovers again, shortly smiles at the felf and hurries after the pink girl "Stephanie, wait a second please! Robbie, don't worry, I'm right in front of the door."

The villain nods mutely, still frozen where he sits, still overwhelmed by Stephanie's flood of words. She actually…worries about his wellbeing, doesn't she? And…she wants to help him…and didn't even question Sportacus' decision to stay here and take care of his rival. Not once… On the contrary…

Robbie's head is spinning. He feels as if he's missed something. Some…trick or…hidden mock or whatever… But no matter how hard and long he thinks about the pink girl's words, he can't find anything but honest concern and the wish to help him… This is so…foreign to him…

"…Robbie?…"

The villain shrinks together and looks up and into the worried gaze of the hero.

"I'm sorry, I didn't want to startle you…" Sportacus sits down on the edge of the bed and smiles softly "Stephanie promised to return alone again with the soup next time. She understands that you need rest and that having all the kids here would be too…stressful now…"

The felf nods weakly, his voice sounds somewhat strained "…She was…actually…worried…"

"Yes. I told you that we all care about you," the elf takes the trembling hand of the villain in his own and squeezes it lovingly.

"…But I…don't have a…cold… Do I?…" Robbie searches the hero's gaze. He truly feels confused about almost everything meanwhile.

"…No… I don't think so… But…until we can tell anything else for sure, I guess it's okay for the kids to believe that… And chicken soup will do you good, nevertheless," Sportacus senses the insecurity of the other and shifts until he's sitting in front of him again, his legs crossed, and carefully cups his cheek "…Hey… Are you all right?…"

Robbie instinctively leans into the touch and shrugs weakly "…I don't know… I can't believe that she was actually worried…and wants to help me… And I… Since I know…what I am, I feel…scared… What if… What will the elves…or the fairies do if they ever…find me?…"

"Robbie," the hero looks the felf firmly into his eyes "You mustn't worry about this now. The only thing you have to focus on now is to become healthy again. And therefore you have to relax and let me…and the kids take care of everything else. I promised you that I won't let anybody hurt you, remember?"

"I can't ask you to fight your own kin for me!" Robbie turns his face away from the soothing hand and clenches his hands into fists "…And…involving the…kids into this wouldn't be…right… I should just leave. That would be best for everyone…"

"Really, Robbie…" Sportacus sighs lowly and shakes his head, before simply pulling the other flush against his chest, stroking his tense back and running his other hand through the freshly washed hair "…We can't start from point zero each time you feel overwhelmed by anything again… This will only drain the last bit of energy from you. I _won't_ let you leave. _Especially_ not when you're still this sick! And…if it calms you, I've already thought about that, myself. Even _if_ they ever send anybody new to arrest you for what reason ever, I _would_ fight for you. You wouldn't have to ask me for this. It would be my _own_ decision. And don't worry about the kids. They're in no danger at all. I swear…"

Robbie starts to sob "…I'm… I'm so sorry! I… I just can't understand why… This is all so much…"

"Hush. I know, Robbie. I know…" Sportacus holds the crying felf close and keeps trying to calm him down again with gentle touches and words "If I were you I would feel just as confused by all this… But Stephanie is right. I will help you through this. No matter what 'this' involves… Remember, I love you."

At this, Robbie's crying gets worse again and he starts to writhe, trying to push the hero off.

"Hey. Hey, hey…" Sportacus lets go of the other so he won't hurt himself with his freeing attempts, but holds him at the shoulders and searches his eyes "Robbie. Calm down. What…"

"Loving me will only cause trouble! Just imagine if your people ever found out… You wouldn't be safe anymore! Maybe even less than I, if they think of you as a traitor! And what if they're right to be afraid of bastards like me?! What if I'm dangerous?! What if…" his breathing hitches and his teary eyes grow wide with horror "…What if I accidentally…hurt you?… Or… Or even…worse… I… I could…"

"Stop it," the hero reaches out to gently cover the felf's mouth with his hand and shakes his head "Robbie. You are not dangerous. And you won't hurt me."

The villain tries to shake his head, more tears running down his cheeks by now.

Why won't the elf understand that he just doesn't want to hurt him in any way? His adoptive family didn't leave him without a reason! They were scared of him! And they surely had a reason to be! He loves Sportacus! But…isn't it irresponsible to love someone, knowing that you could hurt him?… Or…even worse…

He knows that his mind is running in circles.

That he's thinking the same thoughts the hero has tried to get his mind off before.

But he can't help it.

He just…knows that he wouldn't survive being left alone again… And even less to be the cause for getting abandoned, just like before. And this will happen sooner or later, even with the hero. One way or another. He just knows it…

"Robbie…" Sportacus can sense the felf's growing distress and desperation, takes his hand away from his mouth again and gently pushes him back into the pillows, before skidding away from the other, giving him more space, but keeping eye contact "Robbie, listen. Knowing what you are now doesn't change anything. Not for us. I love you. You love me. I don't care what anybody thinks of this. Nobody can forbid me to love you. And if I had to, I would fight _anybody_ for you! Elf, fairy or human! Really. And the most important part: you won't suddenly turn into a monster. You never hurt me before and you never will."

"But what if I suddenly develop some sort of deadly powers?!" the felf slams his fists into the sheets "You can't trust me! It would be best if you took me to your elders. Maybe they can…neutralize this or something!…"

The hero shakes his head no "That's the last thing I will do."

"But…"

"Robbie. I trust _you_. Blindly," Sportacus lowers his eyes for a moment "…But I would never trust _them_!"

"Why? It's not like they would kill me or something!"

"I don't know!" Sportacus can't keep this for himself any longer "Maybe they would! I don't know what they do to felves! No one does! But I won't find out by risking your life!"

"But right now you're very likely risking your hero job and the trust of your folk by helping me!"

"I couldn't care less. I graduated, yes. But that doesn't make me a hero! The only reason why I ever wanted to graduate was to be allowed to help people. What I learned helps me do this, but it long isn't everything or enough! And I can still help people, no matter whether the elders hate me or not."

"Yes, but…what if they…start to chase you?…"

"Then we'll simply have to outsmart them. Together. Because I will protect you. Forever. If you let me," with a shy smile, he holds the felf his hand, his palm showing up "…And I promise you another thing. If you're really so afraid of your powers…then I'll help you find a way to find out how great they are and how to control them. So… What do you say?"

Robbie is still crying when he shaking reaches out with his own hand. But he hesitates and searches the hero's eyes again "…But what if I hurt you before we can do anything?…"

"You won't."

"You can't know that."

"No. But I know you. Long enough to know that you are strong. And in control. You won't just start to freak out out of a sudden. And there's absolutely no hint that your powers might be bad or suddenly grow so strong that you can't control them anymore. I trust you, Robbie. Try to trust yourself a little as well. Please," Sportacus is still holding him his hand, not getting tired of repeating a similar ritual again and again as long as it works "Let me help you."

Robbie looks at the offered hand and tries to recall the good feelings he has already experienced thanks to the other, especially the fun they had…and the incredible happiness he felt when they kissed…

"…Please…if I ever…do lose control…and there's the possibility that I could hurt you…or the kids… Stop me. No matter how."

"Robbie…"

"Promise me."

"…All right… This is never going to happen. But I…promise…" Sportacus swallows hard. "Thank you," with an audibly relieved sigh the villain takes the hero's hand and leans forward, against his chest, murmuring "…I'm sorry… I told you…I have no idea how this love thing works…"

Sportacus sighs as well and lovingly strokes Robbie's head "…Neither do I, to be honest… But…I guess we're not doing so bad, though…"


	47. Chicken Soup?!

This time the knock at the door startles none of the two men.

Robbie, because he's dozing completely exhausted with his head on a pillow in the hero's lap, and Sportacus because he was expecting Stephanie back by now. Very carefully he now lifts the villain out of his lap, extracting a low whine from him during this, and places him on the bed, shortly, soothingly stroking his hot cheek, before he stands up from the bed and silently goes over to open the door he had closed again, because Robbie was freezing despite his high temperature.

"Stephanie," he smiles at the girl and reaches out to take the heavy appearing basket from her, whispering "Come on in."

"Thanks," she follows him, keeping her voice low as well "How is Robbie?"

"…Not…particularly good…" admits the elf after a few seconds of considering telling her that everything is all right, although it clearly isn't while emptying the basket, taking out a great box with soup and, to his surprise some board games and a deck of cards "…He… He feels incredible insecure and…thinks of himself as a…burden… He's dozing now."

"Oh…" Stephanie furrows her brows in concern and silently goes over to the bed. With growing pity she watches the beloved town villain sleep, his face twitching, his expression far from relaxed "…Poor Robbie… He looks even worse and sicker than before…"

"…I know…" Sportacus can't keep his voice from breaking a bit, but he quickly tries to sound enthusiastic again "But I'm sure he'll feel better again, once he ate your soup!"

"Hm…" she nods but keeps her eyes fixed on the villain "…I brought you some games… Maybe you can distract him a little with playing so he'll feel better…"

"Yes, thank you. That was a good idea. Maybe…"

"…Sportacus…" whimpers Robbie suddenly lowly and starts writhing in his sleep "I-I'm sorry! I'm sorry, I'm sorry…"

"Robbie," Sportacus runs over to the bed and bows down, carefully grabbing the felf's shoulders to keep him from lashing around "Robbie! Easy! It's okay!"

"N-No! Please! D-Don't hurt him!" cries the other and reflexively holds on to the strong arms that hold him down "It's not his fault! Please! Please…"

Sportacus doesn't see any other way. He quickly sits down on the bed, lifts Robbie's upper body into his lap and gently presses the villain's face sideways against his chest "Shush… Wake up, Robbie… Wake up…"

The felf whimpers a little more, but then he falls slack in the hero's arms and opens his eyes with a low groan "…Sportacus… What… Where…"

"It's okay. It was only a dream…" assures the elf softly, gently strokes his cheek and rubs his back "Everything is all right…" he looks up and sees Stephanie's worried, questioning gaze and nods once. She steps closer "Hey, Robbie…"

The villain winces a little but turns his head to look at the girl who's standing next to the bed and smiling at him very softly. He relaxes again, and doesn't follow his first instinct to push Sportacus off, but keeps holding on to him instead "…Stephanie…"

Both, hero and girl exchange a surprised look when Robbie uses her real name instead of 'pink girl' or something. But Sportacus quickly pulls himself together again "She brought you soup. And some games that will help to kill time until you're fit again." Robbie smiles. Weakly but gradually thankfully "That's nice of you, pink girl… Really nice. Except if these games include a ball or anything. Then it is not," he blinks. Stephanie smirks "No, don't worry. They're especially fitting for lazy people…and sick ones!"

"Oh, that's good. Right now, I'm both," with a weak chuckle he lets go of Sportacus and the hero helps him to sit up against the pile of pillows again. Thereby he looks between the child and the villain back and forth, actually a little confused about the way they interact now, on a certain level as if they never do anything else. Pleasantly confused. But confused, nevertheless…

"I had nightmares, too when I was sick. Mine were about giant mosquitoes that kept chasing me…" she shudders at this thought, but then she tilts her head, her clever eyes searching Robbie's gaze "What was yours about?"

The villain shortly glances at Sportacus who returns the look knowingly.

"…I… I can't remember…" he can hear in his own mumble that a lie of him rarely was this unconvincing. Stephanie studies his gaze precisely and for a few seconds it seems as if she is about to question this further. But then she just smiles softly "You know…cuddling helps _a lot_ against nightmares…" she grins, first at Robbie, then at Sportacus, then she shrugs "Well, I gotta go now. It's getting late and I promised Stingy and Ziggy to play basketball with them… I'll come back tomorrow to check on you, Robbie, okay? Sportacus, make sure he eats his soup!" The two men exchange a perplexed glance while watching her grabbing her basket and heading for the door to leave.

"Stephanie, wait! If there should be any trouble…" Sportacus jumps up and follows her. But before he even reaches the door, she turns around, her hand raised in a stopping motion, on her lips a huge smile "Nope. You stay here and take care of Robbie. Don't worry about us. We're good," and in a lower voice she adds "He obviously needs your full attention now. He got no one else after all, right?" then she waves at the villain "Bye, Robbie! See you tomorrow!" turns around again and leaves.

Sportacus follows her with the eyes until she's disappeared into the woods.

"…Well… That was…unexpected…" he closes the door, walks over to the table and prepares a bowl of soup "…Didn't she act…strange out of a sudden?…"

"…Hm… She's a kid. They act strange ninety percent of the time," sighs Robbie with a strange tone. Sportacus looks up and returns to the bed with the bowl and a spoon "…Do you think she…knows?…"

"She knows what exactly? That you're an elf? I'm a felf? Or that with…us… You have to be a little more precisely there, Sportaflop," growls the felf lowly, his eyes fixed on his own hands. The hero places the food on the bedside table and worriedly rests a hand on Robbie's shoulder "Hey. What is it? Are you all right?"

" **Of course I'm not!** " yells the villain suddenly desperately and buries his face in his hands. The next second he mumbles in now muffled voice "…I just dreamed that they caught both of us and when they wanted to put me in a cage you tried to fight them and they…" he takes a labored breath in and weakly shakes his head "…I'm sorry… It's not your fault… I shouldn't yell at you like this…"

"Robbie, I'm the only one you can yell at right now. And yelling is just like crying nothing but a natural release of emotion. And I rather have you yell at me than watch you collapse again, because you try to suppress your fear," the hero lovingly strokes his head, before gently removing the villain's shaking hands from his face and searches his eyes "You really don't have to apologize for this. Talk about it. Talking about nightmares keeps them from becoming true."

"…Really? Is that…some kind of elven magic?…"

Sportacus laughs softly "No. It's just a saying. It's what parents tell their kids to help them sleep after a bad dream."

"…Oh… How do you know?…"

"Ziggy told me once."

A pause.

"…Does it…work, though?…"

"Ziggy said so."

"…Candyboy…" Robbie smiles weakly "I always liked him. He has good taste in food…"

"I figured you would," the hero smirks lightly and sits down on the edge of the bed, holding the other the bowl with soup. Robbie takes it and looks onto the food for a moment "…It's possible that Stephanie noticed that…there's something…between us… She's smart. And the way we hold on to each other…probably looked even more…intense than usually…" he crosses his legs and slowly starts to eat, his eyes still fixed on the hero. In-between two spoonful of the soup he murmurs "…I'm sorry about that…"

"Why?" Sportacus tilts his head "Maybe you're right and she did notice. But…I don't think that's a problem… How's the soup?"

"Good. The br-kids still manage to surprise me," Robbie smiles "Won't you eat anything?"

"Oh. Sure," Sportacus blushes a little "…I just… Well…"

The felf smirks "Come on. Do your…pushups and jumps and whatever you need to do before you eat. I don't want to be responsible for you getting out of practice…"

Sportacus gives him a bright, thankful smile and just seconds later, Robbie can't help a soft chuckle while he slowly eats his soup and watches the impressive exercise program of the slightly above average hero…

 

"Checkmate!" with a broad smirk Robbie folds his hands behind his head and leans back into the pillows, quirking a brow "Third time in a row. You don't _let_ me win, do you, Sportacheck?"

"I surely don't," sighs the elf and shakes his head, but then he smiles "You're really good at chess!"

"Thanks," Robbie blushes a little "When I couldn't sleep and wasn't in the mood for thinking about new plans…and needed to calm down I used to play a game of chess against myself… Care for another game?"

"Tomorrow. Okay?" the hero smiles and yawns.

"Oh, I forgot. It's almost eight o' eight," the villain rolls his eyes but chuckles.

"Yes. And you need rest," the hero smiles gently and jumps up from the bed to put the board game away "Do you…need anything before we go to sleep?"

"Hm… Just one request…" Robbie reaches out and when the hero turns back to him he taps on the crystal that is hidden in the box of his waistcoat, the hero put on even over the top of his pajama "…This thing is _hard_ and not really comfortable to lean on… So… Do you think…you can put it on the bedside table tonight?…" a shy smile. Sportacus chuckles and gets rid of the garment in question with two swift motions. Then he slips into the bed next to Robbie, turns on his side, wraps his arms around the surprised felf and pulls him flush against his chest, his hands on Robbie's chest and stomach, his face nuzzled in the back of the other's neck "Goodnight, Robbie."

The villain opens his mouth to ask the hero about the sudden hurry, but at this moment the low alarm tone signals that it's eight o' eight and he smiles at the almost comical absurdity of this. But then he presses himself even closer against the elf, pulls the cover tighter around them both and hesitating rests his own hands on the ones of the hero, his voice a soft whisper "…Goodnight…Sportacus…"


	48. Swear?!

"It's your turn, Sportacus."

"I don't see how this is going to help me help others."

"We already talked about this. In an emergency situation you have to be able to protect yourself and other possible victims under any circumstances. All of you."

"But… It wouldn't be fair!"

"Life is rarely fair, Sportacus. You'll learn that soon enough. But _now_ you'll learn how to use your magic power in combats, or you won't pass this class. Do you understand?"

"…Yes…Sir…" the ten year-old grits his teeth and focuses on the tingling sensation in his hands, like he was told. It slowly but steadily grows into a stinging…and finally an almost painful burning.

"Ouch!" he starts to shake them, trying to get rid of this feeling.

"No! Don't suppress it. You're supposed to let go. Feel the energy. And then you'll sense when you're ready to fire it at the target."

"But it _burns_!"

"Only in the beginning and only if you fight it," the teacher steps behind Sportacus and grabs his wrists, raising his hands and stretching his arms in front of him "Like I showed you. Palms facing downwards. Then, when you feel you're ready, turn them around quickly and point your palm at your target."

"But…"

"I don't want to hear any more complaints. And I don't want to see any other motion than the one I just described. So!" the older elf steps back again "Focus!"

The boy doesn't want to. But he _has_ to follow this order…

He focuses again and takes a deep breath in, forcing himself to bear the unpleasant feeling until…

 

"Do you swear to always honor the hero codex of the elves and fight for the defenseless?"

"I swear."

"Do you swear to follow every order you'll receive from the Elders during your duty as a hero?"

"…I…swear…"

 

"…His name is Robbie Rotten. The name tells you everything you need to know about this no-good. We've been watching him for years now and my first impression of him was correct. He's lazy, moody and, if provoked, even dangerous. Your job is to catch him and bring him here so he can be sentenced and won't be a danger for the good people of LazyTown. Especially not for the kids."

"LazyTown?"

"Yes. I worked hard to get the children to not live after this ridiculous name of their town any longer. But in the end, I succeeded."

"Yes, I…know… I was…present when you had your presentation at our school when I was in my final year…"

"Oh, really? Hm… What was your name again, son?"

"Sportacus."

"Then I take it this is your first mission?"

"Yes."

"Hm…" Nine nods and turns to the representative of the elders "I don't want to appear…offensive in any way, but…I do believe that we should send someone with more…experience. Rotten is a no-good, but it would be a mistake to underestimate him! He's…powerful…in a way…"

"The Elders have decided. Sportacus is going to leave in his airship tomorrow morning. And he's got the order to inform us about possible complications via letter. So there's no need to worry. Within a few weeks, Robbie Rotten will be under arrest and ready to hear his sentence!…"

 

'…with all dutiful respect, Wise Elders, but Robbie Rotten is not a bad human. He cares for the children. In his own way. He would never harm anybody. And everything he seeks is some peace. Arresting him would be wrong. I'm going to try to help him, if I get the chance to do so. He deserves no punishment. He deserves…' with a long sigh, Sportacus drops the pen. "…I can't write this… They'll never understand… At worst, they'll send another hero, because they believe I can't cope with him…" with another sigh the hero walks over and sits down on the open door, his legs dangling in the air, his eyes roaming the landscape of LazyTown beneath him "…It's too late to go back… It's too late to send a letter and explain that Robbie isn't bad… They wouldn't have believed me, anyway… Maybe they'll forget about me and him and my mission… It's not like Robbie was a very high priority, right?!" Sportacus knows that he's just trying to encourage himself into hoping this. But there's nothing more he can do if he doesn't want to endanger Robbie even further.

"…Oh, Robbie… If you'd at least _talk_ to me some time…" another, even deeper sigh, and the hero shakes his head sorrowfully…

 

 

With a jerk, Sportacus sits up in the bed.

His heart is beating up to his throat and his head is spinning.

He's never dreamed about these important turning points of his life like this, as if living them through in a weird…time machine again…

He forces his breathing to slow down again and the sudden need to check on the felf, sleeping next to him becomes almost painfully strong. But even before he can follow this instinct, he suddenly becomes aware of the familiar beeping sound, coming from the bedside table.

"…Oh, please no…" whispers the hero and turns to look at his side, calling lowly "Dim lights!"

The crystal isn't close enough to him to show him who's in trouble. But his instincts are enough…

"Robbie!" Sportacus' voice breaks. Robbie is lying on his side, his face a painful frown, both of his arms wrapped around his stomach, obviously pressing down on it, his knees pulled up as far as they can go in this position. And he's panting as if he's barely able to catch enough breath. But that's not the worst part. When Sportacus now rests a hand on Robbie's cheek he nearly winces back at the hotness.

It feels like the felf is burning up.

Literally!

But…he's not sweating…at all…

On the contrary!

He's trembling as if he's freezing to death…

Two complete opposed symptoms as it seems…

And yet, nothing could describe Robbie's nature better…


	49. Burn?!

"Robbie! Come on, Robbie! Wake up! Look at me! Please!!"

Sportacus can't hold back a few tears of desperation any longer.

He needs all of his concentration to keep himself from panicking.

The felf hasn't been responsive in any way for over ten minutes now already.

The only thing he does is curling up, back into fetal position each time Sportacus has carefully managed to stretch him out again. And the only sounds he makes are either low, painful groans or whines, and, of course still this disturbing panting…

The hero is trying to lower his temperature with a damp cloth on his forehead and leg compresses, but he's doubting that this will help any.

This is no regular fever.

Neither are Robbie's stomach aches ordinary cramps.

The felf isn't sick. Not in a…human way at least…

Sportacus fears that it is far worse than that.

He fears - and not just because of his own experience he strangely lived through in a dream again just a few minutes ago - that the radiating fever is caused by colliding energy.

He is no doctor.

And he can't be sure whether he's right.

But he knows that elvish magical energy feels hot. He can only assume that it's the same with fairy magic. And since Robbie is a felf and very likely carries a mixture of both magic powers, he might become even hotter than elves or fairies ever would when this energy gathers in one point for some reason.

Is that what his teacher meant?

Is that one of the reasons why so many felves die shortly after birth or even before? Is this combined magic more than a body can cope with?

Does that mean…

No!

He mustn't even think about this!

No panic!

He has to cool Robbie's body down so he won't experience a total circulation collapse and his organs won't malfunction even worse!

But…how?…

"Yes, I **_know_**!" desperate, Sportacus grabs the waistcoat with his crystal which is still beeping furiously and he glares at it with sudden anger "Instead of just beeping and showing me Robbie who's lying _right in front of me_ , rather show me what _I can do to help him_! **_Stupid, useless thing!_** "

The hero doesn't really notice how easily he suddenly gives in to his rage when he slams the waistcoat against the nearest wall. The sound this causes isn't loud and nothing gets broken. But Sportacus suddenly gets reminded of the first time he got so angry at himself, just about two days ago…and he feels a painful sting in his heart when he remembers how Robbie had calmed him down again. The feeling of the villain's hand on his own…

He calms down a bit at this memory. His anger vanishes and is replaced by fear and sadness instead. And then he realizes that the beeping has stopped. For a split second, hope rushes through him. But then he looks at the felf and finds him in the same state as before. Confused, the elf walks over to pick up his waistcoat, opens the box and looks at the crystal.

No beeping.

No flashing.

In other words: the hero just lost his warning crystal by throwing it against the wall.

It's not broken.

But it doesn't…believe him 'worthy' anymore.

A hero mustn't lose his temper.

Not like this.

Yes, he learned that at school as well.

This elvish crystal…snapped in because he yelled at it, called it stupid and even got violent. And he has absolutely no idea how to correct this again.

Another problem.

But definitely not his main one right now.

With a powerless sigh he secures the stone in its box again and puts the waistcoat into his wardrobe.

It's of no use right now.

Even less like this.

He can only hope that the kids and the other people in LazyTown will be all right and stay out of trouble for some more time… He doubts that he'd be a good 'hero' at the moment, anyway. His thoughts would be with Robbie the whole time, anyway…

"…What can I do to cool you down?…" he's standing next to the bed again and gently brushes his fingers over the felf's cheek, resisting the reflex to pull back at the hot sensation "…There must be _something_ I can do! …Anything…"

The elf furrows his brows when an idea hits him.

"…If…you released at least some of this energy…your fever should cease a bit. I'm sure… But _how_ shall you do this? You're not even conscious…" Sportacus swallows hard and feels more tears coming up "…And though I'm talking to you…"

Once more he very gently unfolds the with pain quivering body and carefully slips his hand under the shirt to rest it on the hot belly. He bites his lower lip to suppress a whimper. This almost feels as if he put his hand on a hotplate… If he needed any more evidence that Robbie isn't having a normal fever, then that's it. On one hand this is a slightly calming thought, because otherwise, with a fever this high the villain would be dead within hours. On the other hand, even if the felvish body is able to cope with this extreme stress longer than a human…or even elvish or fairy body would, he can't tell for how much longer exactly, and, even worse, he doesn't know what to do against this. Releasing this energy appears to be the only possible way, but for this…

"…You _have_ to wake up, Robbie! Please! I… I can't do this alone this time… I need your help…" with tears in his eyes he slowly starts to caress the hot, hardened stomach of the felf, searching his gaze. Robbie groans lowly. His head turns from side to side. The damp, meanwhile hot cloth drops down from his forehead and with a painful whimper he tries to turn back on his side and to pull his knees up to his chest again. But with careful force, the hero hinders him.

"No… I'm sorry, Robbie, but it's better if you stay this way…" Sportacus knows it's foolish, but each time Robbie whimpers his heart breaks and he feels as if he's hurting him even worse with his actions…

"…It…hurts…"

"Robbie!" the elf nearly jumps when he hears this low whisper, but he forces himself not to move a single muscle. Instead, he cups the felf's cheek with his free hand, his own voice trembling and breaking "Oh, Robbie… Finally! I-I…already thought you…wouldn't wake up again…"

"…H… Hurts…" Robbie swallows hard and his next inhale appears to cause him immense pain, but his eyes slowly move around unfocused for a moment, until they lock with the hero's "…Sporta…cus… Make…it…s-stop… P… Please…"

"…I… I-I…don't know…how…" a cold sweat starts to spread on the elf's body. He has never felt this desperate before and his head never this empty…

He's panicking.

"Robbie, I…"

"Please!" with a cry and a surprising strong jerk, the other sits up and doubles over, his own arms pressing Sportacus' hand which is still resting on his stomach further down, his eyes squeezed shut and his breathing is nothing more than a faint gasping, barely enough to take in the urgently needed oxygen "…I… I can't take this…any longer… Please! D-Do… ** _anything_**!" he turns his head and pleadingly looks into the hero's eyes, his voice barely above a whisper now "…Please…help me…"


	50. Breathe?!

"…Sportacus… Please…" Robbie's whimper sounds even more begging than before and when the hero still keeps staring at him, his desperation and fear mixes with a new wave of pain and he cries out " **Sportacus! I beg you! Either you _save_ me now, or you _kill_ me! I just…can't take this anymore!**"

The next second he gasps for air.

The elf winces.

And with this, he finally snaps out of his shock.

"Robbie. Breathe," Sportacus gently cups the felf's hot cheek with his free hand and his eyes search Robbie's "Listen to me. I won't let you die! Okay?! I will _save_ you! But I need your help. I can't do this on my own. You need to breathe."

"…B-But…breathing…hurts… Everything…hurts…" whimpers the villain lowly and with a painful groan he doubles over even more, his eyes never leaving the hero's "…I'm…scared… I c-can't…help you…"

"I know that you're scared. And I know that it hurts. But I promise you, if you do what I tell you to, you'll feel better again soon!" his own hand is shaking as well, but he gently wipes the felf's tears away while his own keep rolling down his cheek "You're strong, Robbie. I know you can do this. Please, I… I can't lose you! Not…now… Not like this… Not when we finally… Please. Believe in yourself."

Robbie just stares at him for a few seconds.

"…You…love me…" the villain lifts his arms away from his stomach long enough to give the hero's other hand free like this.

"Yes," at once Sportacus takes one of Robbie's hands with which he's still hugging his stomach far too tightly.

"…And you…can't…lose me because…of this?…" the felf takes a deep breath in and squeezes the hero's hand to struggle through the burning pain during this.

"Yes. I need you, Robbie," he starts to rub calming circles in the back of the hot hand. "…You're…a…hero. You don't…need…anybody…" a slow exhale, combined with another whimper "…Least of…all people…a loser like…me…"

"You're no loser, Robbie! You're the love of my life! And I _do_ need you! More than anybody else! …And I'm no real hero… That stupid graduation of that horrible school! I'm… I'm just…me…" Sportacus' voice breaks a little "…Is that…enough for you?…"

A very, very weak smile and a low panting "…You…silly…silly…elf… Really… If I…had the energy…for it, I'd- ** _Ah!_** " the next wave of pain sends him falling sideways into the hero's arms, his fingers now digging into the cloth of the elf's pajama top, his face pressed against the strong chest.

"Easy. Breathe, Robbie," Sportacus gently rubs his back and strokes his hair, waiting until the cramp has ceased a bit again, thereby he murmurs lowly "…You don't lack energy… You have too _much_ of it…"

"…W-What?…" rasps the other lowly, managing to breathe steadily, despite the pain. His only thought is to follow the hero's instructions now.

"I'll explain it to you when you feel better again… Do you think I can move you?"

"…Do you…have to?…"

"Yes…" very carefully, Sportacus untangles himself from the embrace to stand up from the bed, but without removing his hands from the feverish body. He senses that the loss of this physical contact would cause Robbie to collapse completely again.

"…Why?…" the felf groans lowly when he carefully gets lifted into strong, muscular arms. "Because…we can't do inside what you need to do to lower your fever…"

"…I can…barely…move… What are you- ** _Hm!_** " he buries his face further into the supporting shoulder of his friend.

"Keep breathing. Don't worry, I'll help you. You're not alone. Remember, I'm _there_! I won't let you down! I won't let you _die_!…"

A very weak nod, followed by a barely audible whisper "…I…know…that… But you…were…doubting…yourself…"

Sportacus nearly stops at these words.

He always knew that Robbie is sensitive and can read him impressively well without even being aware of it most of the time.

But this…

"…You… _are_ …a…hero…" Robbie's fingers tug at the pajama top of the elf to fight the urge to double over again at the burning sensation washing through his abdomen, and his voice sounds incredible strained…but just as honest "…At least… _my_ …hero…"


	51. Hot?!

The chilly night air catches Sportacus by surprise when he steps out of the door of his airship with Robbie still in his arms.

Maybe it's exactly because of the hot body pressed flush against his chest that the surroundings appear so cold…or there's another storm coming up…

' ** _My_** hero.'

The elf swallows thickly at the echoing words of the felf in his head. They scare and encourage him equally. Robbie believes and trusts in him. He mustn't disappoint him. If he did, this…would very likely be the death of the felf…

"…H-Hot…" murmurs Robbie suddenly lowly and squirms a little in the hero's arms "…C-Cold…"

"Hush. I know. Hold on, we're almost…"

"…B-Burning…ice… Freezing…f-fire…" the painful whisper is barely audible.

But Sportacus stops dead, nevertheless.

He doesn't know why, but these words sound uncomfortably familiar to him…

He looks down on the suffering felf and in the bright light of the full moon, his pale face with his shut squeezed eyes appears both, ghostly and in a mesmerizing way incredibly beautiful…

He needs to hurry up.

"…Hold on…" the elf moves quickly but carefully, so the villain's body won't concuss too much. He isn't sure whether he's trying to soothe him or himself now "…Just hold on… You're gonna be okay… Don't worry…"

Finally, they've reached the other side of the airship. In front of them for many miles nothing but plain grassland.

"Okay. Robbie, do you hear me?"

"…Yes…"

"You need to stand. Don't worry, I'll hold you up."

"…W-Why?…" Robbie can't help a pitiful whimper. He doesn't want to stand. He doesn't feel able to. He just…wants to snuggle up closer to the elf and forget everything. But his body won't allow him this, either…

"You need to release some of your energy. But therefore, you have to stand straight so it can flow through you. Do you understand?"

"…No…" groans the felf weakly. The next second he cries out when Sportacus suddenly carefully eases his feet on the ground, holding his body up.

"You don't have to… Just follow my instructions and everything will be all right. I promise," the hero smiles soothingly, despite his growing concern for the other and the fear that he's just lying to him in the end by promising this. But he can't have either of them panicking now…

Robbie nods weakly, but when he tries to stand up straight by his own power, he sways and the hero quickly tightens his grip on him.

"Easy…"

"…I-I…don't think I can do it…" gasps the villain and fights against the urge to double over again. He wants to be back in the bed. At least he felt saver there…

"Yes, you can," Sportacus carefully steps right behind the shaking felf and gently pulls the greater man's back against his own chest, steadying him, before slowly putting his arms around him, grabbing Robbie's hands. His voice soft and calming "Lean against me. I'll hold you. And I'll guide you through this. Okay?"

"O-Okay…" Robbie swallows hard but he watches how the hero incredibly gently stretches his arms out in front of his body.

"…The pain you're feeling is heat, caused by your two different sorts of energy. Close your eyes. Focus on sensing this power deep within you," murmurs the elf softly, right into the other's ear.

It's been long years since he's last practiced this form of magic.

And even some more, since he had his first lesson in this…

But luckily he can remember what to do and is determined to help Robbie as much as he can by leading him through the whole process.

He waits a few minutes, sensing that the felf tries really hard to do as told, his body shaking even more with the effort and his breathing going shallow but steady.

Then he asks lowly "…Do you feel anything?…"

"…I… I don't…know… It's… It's just…hot…" Robbie furrows his brows and tries really hard not to squirm with every new wave of hot pain.

"Where?"

"…Stomach…"

"Okay. Take a deep breath in. And when you breathe out again, try to relax. Let the energy flow. Don't cage it in."

"I…don't think…I can… It's so…" he whimpers lowly.

"Yes, you can. But take your time. Try. And don't stop trying. It's hard, but eventually you'll sense that something changes. And don't worry. I got you, Robbie…"

Long minutes pass.

The hero starts to question his theory.

But then Robbie suddenly cries out "It burns! I… I can't! P-Please… Sportacus! I'm sorry, I can't do this! M-Make it…stop! Please!"

"No. Listen, Robbie. Only _you_ can make it stop! I know it hurts. I know you're scared. But you mustn't fight it! Let go."

"But then it will burn me completely!" the felf is squirming violently by now, panting and nearly yelling because of the pain.

"No. It won't. I _promise_! Please, Robbie. Trust me! The energy will find its way on its own. You _have_ to relax, no matter how hard it appears to be!"

"H-How do you know? How can you be so sure that it won't…" he breaks up in another cry and reflexively turns his head to bury his face into the hero's throat, muffling the noise like this. "Hush…" Sportacus places a soft kiss on his hair "…I know…because I learned how to use this kind of energy. Please… Trust me…"

Another whimper, but then the elf can sense a change in Robbie's body. He nearly gasps out when, after several more minutes, he feels an enormous amount of energy crawling into the felf's arms…and finally hands.

Robbie screams.

Sportacus turns the hot hands with his own so that the felf's palms point straight ahead.

A shudder rushes through the weakened body.

A blinding flash of light.

Sportacus instinctively squeezes his eyes shut.

The next second, he feels as if he ran straight into a fire.

But he knows that the heat is heading in the opposite direction.

Everything is over within two heartbeats.

He blinks his eyes open and inhales sharply.

The hero remembers the shock very well that he experienced when he fired with energy at a wooden target for the very first time. The doll was…gone. Nothing but ashes. But…that target was relatively small.

The entire grassland _now_ …is black.

Black and destroyed as far as he can see.

In every direction, facing ahead and away from them.

He knows instinctively how the wooden targets would've looked after this. But…with this load of energy… _dozens_ of targets would've been nothing but ashes afterwards…not just _one_ …

He swallows dryly.

Taking in all this information and coming to these unsettling thoughts and conclusions took him nothing more than a blink.

And with the next blink, Sportacus can feel Robbie's body convulsing one last time, before he falls entirely limp in his arms…


	52. Dream?!

It's cold.

His body is sore.

But at least he's surrounded by softness…

He sighs lowly.

"…Robbie?…" the softness in his back shifts.

The felf cries out lowly in protest and tries following the disappearing comfort by rolling from his left side onto his right, reaching out with still closed eyes to hold on to it.

"Shush…" a hand comes to rest on his back and pulls him flush against a chest again "…It's okay. I won't go…"

Robbie relaxes at once and presses his face against a soft, warm throat, humming pleased "…Sportacus… I…had a…strange…terrible dream… I was…in so much pain… But you… Oh, never mind. It doesn't matter…" he sighs lowly when he feels the hand gently stroking his back. The felf feels incredibly groggy, although he is sure he must've slept for several hours…

"…In this dream… Did I help you…release some of your energy?…" the hero's voice is soft and low. Surprised, the villain opens his eyes and looks at him "Yes! How do you kn-" his eyes grow wide with shock "That…was no dream!?"

"…No…" Sportacus gently removes his hand from the felf's back to cup his cheek instead "It wasn't."

"…But… But that means…" Robbie tries to push himself up, but his arms are trembling too violently. Sportacus has to catch him "Easy! Wait…" slowly he sits up, the shivering felf in his arms "It's okay, Robbie."

"No, it's not…" the villain clings to him and buries his face in the crook of the hero's neck, starting to sob lowly "…It's not…"

"But you got rid of that energy that caused you so much pain. Your stomach cramps probably as well!" Sportacus is confused but instinctively starts trying to soothe him by stroking his back and head "…Okay… You… You may lost a…little too much energy… You're still ice cold, just like when you collapsed a few hours ago… But with some rest and good food you'll recover quickly from that, don't worry! We just have to keep you warm…"

"Stop it!" Robbie suddenly pushes the elf off and falls back into the pile of pillows, turning on his side and curling up on himself, his face buried in his hands "…Go away…"

"W-What?" Sportacus blinks, completely taken aback "But…"

"I said **_go away_**!" snaps the villain with as much energy as he can muster, before sobbing even worse. "…Robbie…" the hero can't help a low sigh and carefully rests a hand on the felf's shoulder, his voice very soft and worried "…Robbie, what is it this time, hm?…"

"You **_know_**!" cries the other desperately and tries to shrug his hand off "You **_saw_**!"

"Saw what?"

"What **_monster_** I am!" driven by pure desperation and a great amount of self-hate, Robbie manages to sit up, drag himself out of the bed and stagger to the nearest window on the left side of the ship. The, due to once again bad weather faint sunlight shows him the same picture he saw before blacking out last night: destruction…

"…I'm a danger for everybody who's too close to me…"

"That's nonsense, Robbie."

"Nonsense?!" the felf turns back to face the elf standing right behind him already. His gaze angry and his body shaking he points at the window "Excuse you! Didn't you see that?! I've fallen for these reassuring words before, but **_now_** , even **_you_** blue, naive elf have to realize…that…"

He starts to sway.

Black and white dots dance in front of his eyes.

Then his legs give way beneath him.

"I got you…"

The words are a gentle murmur right in his ear and the next moment he already gets picked up and lifted into strong arms.

"N-No!" everything appears to happen so slowly to Robbie out of a sudden, and he realizes that he's completely powerless once more, though he starts hitting the hero's shoulder "L-Let go of me! I… Don't you see that…I could… I could kill you! Please, Sportacus! I… I don't want to hurt you…"

"You won't."

"You saw what I can do!!"

"I _showed_ you _how_ to do it. My powers are…similar to yours. If you consider yourself a threat because of them, you have to do the same with me," replies the hero softly while walking back to the bed with the quivering body in his arms. The weak hitting of the other, he barely registers. "But you learned how to _control_ them! Two days ago, I didn't even know that I _had_ any powers!" Robbie barely hits the soft surface of the bed, he already turns on his side and pulls his knees up to his chest again "…What if I suddenly trigger another explosion?! Accidentally… I… You…" he breaks up in an almost hysterical hiccup. The mere thought of hurting or…killing Sportacus like this…

"Robbie. Listen. You…"

"You're not safe! None of you!" the felf starts to writhe and tries to get up again, but only falls back, his body shaking with weakness and fear at the mere imagined scenarios in which he lost control over his powers. His hiccup is draining the last bit of energy from him "…Your…Elders were…right… I should've…never been…born…"

"No, Robbie, don't say things like that!" begs the elf and reaches out to touch his friend "Please. Listen to me. I just want to…"

" ** _Don't!_** **_Touch!_** **_Me!_** " cries Robbie and quickly pulls one of the blankets over himself " ** _Leave me alone!_** **_Go!_** Just… **_Just go_** and **_leave me be_**! …Please… Save yourself…" his sobs grow weaker beneath the sheet, but his shivering increases "…Save…yourself…just…once…"

Sportacus just stands there and stares down on the covered, quivering picture of misery.

Completely overwhelmed.

He knows that he'll only make things worse again and probably even cause another, stronger panic attack, if he touched the other or even spoke to him…

Leaving him alone here, like the villain pleaded is out of question of course, though!

But…what can he do to make the felf understand that he is _no_ danger?!

He…

He isn't.

Right?

No!

Of course not!

He's Robbie!

And he's…understandably confused and scared right now…

The hero needs to find a way to encourage him!

And…to warm him…

And…

And very slowly, Sportacus starts to realize that he saved Robbie's life by helping him release this energy last night…

But he might also…is about to lose him…in a completely different way than he feared…


	53. Starve?!

"…I made you some sandwiches… Please, at least _eat_ something!" begs Sportacus while placing the plate with food on the bedside table.

" **No!** " comes the muffled cry from beneath the blanket and Robbie curls up even tighter on himself "I told you to _leave_ , Sportacus!"

"Do you actually think I'm going to do that?!" desperate, the hero crosses his arms in front of his chest and shakes his head to himself "You still need care and protection! You're still far from being all healthy again! And I…" he bites his tongue. Somehow, he got the feeling that reminding the other that he loves him would unsettle him even more now…

"You _really_ have to eat now. Otherwise you won't be able to regain your strength…"

"…That's the trick, Sportaflop…" the whisper is dark and weak, but somehow determined. Sportacus shudders "What?…"

"Don't you get it?!" there's a shifting under the sheet, but nothing more, before the muffled voice sounds up again, angry this time "As long as I don't regain energy, I can't hurt anybody!"

The hero inhales sharply.

That's what he feared.

No matter how, he needs to talk Robbie out of this!

And quick.

"…So…you _do_ realize that you're completely out of energy at the moment, right?!"

"…One…can never know…"

"Oh, that's nonsense! You can _sense_ that you lack _every_ form of energy! _Especially_ the magic one! So!" the elf takes a careful step closer to the bed "…Now that you're no danger… Can we sit down together and _talk_ in peace for a few minutes?"

A pause.

"…I don't see how this would change anything about the facts…"

"You said it yourself. You don't know how to control your power. You barely know _anything_ about your nature as a magic…creature… But _I_ do," another step forward "…So _please_ , hear me out before you doom yourself…"

Silence.

Under his cover Robbie takes a hectic breath in.

He doesn't know when his hiccup stopped.

And he neither knows whether it's actually safe for the hero, if he agreed to this.

But he _does_ know that his body craves for the calming presence, the gentle, soothing touches of the elf…

Trembling, he untangles himself from the blanket and slowly sits up, his eyes red from crying, his voice cracking "…Why… Why do I…have to be like this?… Why can't I…just be…normal?… I… I know, I've always been a…freak…in a way… But…not _that_ kind of freak… At least I…didn't think so… I thought I…was a…normal…freak…"

"Oh, Robbie…" carefully, Sportacus sits down next to the villain on the edge of the bed so close their arms are touching and the felf winces slightly, before instinctively shifting even a little closer "…You're no freak. Neither a normal, nor a…freaky one. You're…well…you…" with a loving smile, the hero strokes the felf's cheek with the back of his hand. But this time Robbie winces and shifts away a bit again, his eyes reflecting fear "Don't! I… Even without energy, I could…hurt you… I… I'm not sure whether…there isn't…some of it left…"

"Stop believing that you'd hurt me. You won't."

"But…"

"We share the same magic. Therefore, you can't hurt me. That's what I'm trying to tell you the whole time already."

"…What?…"

"Even _if_ you released your energy at me accidentally, I wouldn't get hurt, but absorb it," Sportacus gently takes his hand, smiling at the felf soothingly.

Robbie blinks in utter confusion "…That… Are you…sure?… I mean…"

"Yes. I swear, it's completely safe for me in your presence. So _please_ , let me help you," the hero takes the plate with sandwiches and holds it in front of him "Eat something. You need it. Urgently."

The other is torn.

He feels incredibly confused and overwhelmed and still insecure, but most of all he's still groggy and sore…

"…I'm…not hungry…"

"That doesn't matter right now," the elf grabs the thermometer from the bedside table, carefully takes the felf's temperature and shows it to him "Do you see that? Subnormal temperature. If you don't eat anything soon and regain some strength, this can become dangerous as well." Robbie blinks slowly "…You changed your strategy… Until now you encouraged and tried to soothe me… But now you…try to scare me?…"

"You seem to hardly react on anything else by now," Sportacus voice isn't rebuking or accusing, just low and calm like before and his smile is soft "You need to realize in what danger you could get by rejecting food. This energy that you lost isn't just energy you use for causing such…explosions. It's your life energy as well. You _have_ to restore it."

"But… Even if I can't hurt _you_ … What about…the others? …The kids… If they got hit by something like I caused last night, they wouldn't absorb it! Right?!" the felf starts to shiver even more at the thought of this. Of course, the brats are annoying most of the time, but…he'd never forgive himself if he injured any of them! Or…worse…

"…No… They won't…"

"Then I have to leave! As soon, as possible! I…" he gets cut off by lips pressing on his own. With wide eyes he stares right into the blue ones of the hero and forgets to breathe.

Once Sportacus notices this he quickly pulls back again.

"I told you to listen, didn't I?" smirks the elf and gently cups the cheeks of the slightly for breath gasping, still shocked felf "…I understand your concern. But running away from your fear is no option, Robbie."

"What…" the villain swallows hard, still completely overwhelmed by the kiss and the loving touch and reflexively rests his own hands on Sportacus' "…What shall I do then?…"

"The same as before," the hero leans his forehead against Robbie's and looks him deep into the eyes "Let me help you. Let me help you…to learn how to control your power…"


	54. Pudgy?!

"…Are you really sure that you…love me?…"

Sportacus holds in his move to walk into the bathroom to fill the hot-water bottle, and turns around to look at the felf, sitting in the bed, still shivering, propped up by a pile of pillows, staring down at the sandwich in his hand.

"…What kind of question is this?…" the hero tilts his head in confusion "Of course I love you!"

"…You don't just…pity me?…" Robbie raises his gaze to search the elf's "…You like me, yes… And you want me to feel better and fight to become healthy again and…that I trust you and let you help me learn to control this…magic power… So maybe you just _think_ that you love me so it will be easier for you to cope with my horrible changing moods and problems without losing your mind…"

The hero blinks slowly. Then he approaches the bed and rests a hand on Robbie's forehead.

"What…are you doing?…" the villain looks up into the blue eyes.

"Checking whether you've got a temperature again after everything you just said…" he furrows his brows then he shakes his head and pulls his hand back "Nope. Still ice cold. So… You _actually_ believe that this could be the case? That I just _pretend_ to love you?! Fooling not only you, but myself as well?!"

"…Yes?…" the felf blinks and a few tears roll down his cheeks, his voice cracking "…I… I don't know… I… I just still can't…understand how _you_ could love…something like…this…" he gestures at himself and then slaps his little tummy with his hand, blushes furiously and quickly lowers his eyes. He waits for something.

A reply…

Anything.

But the only thing he hears a few seconds later is the sound of light steps heading away.

The felf bites his lower lip to keep it from shaking, but now his nose starts wiggling instead and more tears stream down his face. The villain puts the sandwich back on the plate on the bedside table, not feeling able to take a single bite of it anymore.

He knows that Sportacus already assured him that he believes the felf beautiful. Multiple times and _very_ clearly even. But…Sportacus simply is everything he is _not_. Above all, he's _in control_ …and Robbie…is a threat… He still doesn't know much about love. But he just can't believe that such complete opposite people could actually…love each other…for more than a moment of…confused but seemingly deep emotions…

Robbie only gets ridden out of his dark, sad thoughts when his shirt suddenly gets lifted up. He winces and looks up…straight into gentle, blue eyes. The elf is kneeling on the bed right next to him, his smile is soft, but a little sad just like his voice "We went through this topic before, Robbie… And…it makes me really sad that you still doubt my words… But…" he suddenly bows down to the felf's bare belly and places a short, ghostly kiss right above the navel.

Robbie squeals.

More in actual shock than just surprise, and his fingers dig into the sheets beneath him in an attempt to hold on to reality while he stares down at the hero, holding his breath.

Sportacus smiles a little playfully up to him "…I won't grow tired of searching new ways to convince you that I actually mean it…"

Another kiss.

Robbie can't help a low whimper and his trembling gets worse "…Sportacus… Y-You…really don't h-have to do this!…"

"No…" the hero's hand starts to gently caress the felf's little, soft tummy and he straightens up again, looking into the other's teary eyes "…But I want to. I want to do _everything_ that might help you realize that you're perfect just the way you are. No matter your incredible cute, soft belly, nor your felvish powers. I love you, Robbie Rotten. I always did. Not because I pity you. But because you're the cutest, funniest, smartest, most handsome, lovable and caring man I've _ever_ met. You are the first reason I stayed in LazyTown. And not mainly to protect you from my folk. But because there was something special about you. I felt it the second I've seen you for the first time, but I…wasn't really sure what it was until some years later… I only knew that I liked you, no matter what you did. But I…did more than just 'like' you… Obviously," his smile becomes a little shy, but his hand keeps circling the felf's navel, almost absently "…I don't know how to prove this to you… But I'll keep trying…"

Robbie swallows hard and finally starts breathing again "…I… Sportacus… I… It's not…like I don't believe you… I _trust_ you! And I… _love_ you! B-But… I just… I just don't want you to…feel like you owe me anything! You're not obliged to…make me happy! We… I…don't want you to…become sad…if in the end you realize that you _don't_ love me the way you thought you do and then don't dare to tell me so, because you don't want to hurt me… We're so…different… What if…"

"Robbie," interrupts Sportacus softly and cups his cheek with his free hand "I know what you're implying. But…what we're both feeling right now is love for each other. Right?"

A weak nod.

"See? And whether we'll go well together for…forever, we'll only be able to find out, if we give it a try. Of course there's a risk that we'll start to get on each other's nerves and realize that we don't match after some time. But every new couple takes this risk. I'm willing to try it. And…if you feel better with it, we can agree to be completely honest with each other all the time, even in situations where we don't want to hurt each other's feelings and believe staying silent would be better… Like this you can be sure that I'm _not_ sad because we're together and the same the other way round. So…"

"…it would be…like it…is right now… Right?…" asks Robbie carefully, his breathing a little calmer again. The hero starts to smile "Yes. Like it is right now. We can talk about everything. We're there for and honest with each other. We tease and encourage and help each other. We…"

"…already… _are_ a couple…aren't we?…" the felf blushes but can't help a wry smile. Sportacus chuckles, still caressing the other's belly "…In a way… Yes, I guess, we are."

"Oh… I'm…really not good with this…social interaction… Otherwise I might've noticed sooner…" jokes Robbie weakly and turns an even darker shade of red when he stammers "…A-And…how did you…get the idea of…k-kissing my…stomach?…"

The hero's smile broadens "Well… Actually I just wanted to lift your top to put the hot-water bottle beneath it… But…your belly simply is so soft and adorable and… I thought about kissing it a few times already, but I feared it might shock you too much…"

"Which it did. But…in a…good way…" murmurs the villain lowly and nervously starts kneading the bed with his fingers "…I just… Do you… _really_ …like it?… I mean… I don't get it. Why would you?! A guy like you…with his…incredible six-pack…" his eyes roam the hero's chest and stomach and he can't help a low sigh. The elf smiles and tilts his head "Do you like _my_ stomach?"

"Of course! What kind of question is that even?!" exclaims the villain so fiercely he winces at this, himself and ashamed bites his lower lip, mumbling "…Uh… Sorry… I…"

"See? Why shouldn't I like _yours_ , then?"

"Because it's _no six-pack_ , Sportadork!" the felf crosses his arms and gives his friend a chiding glance "And I don't think it will ever become one! It's…fat…" he lowers his eyes again.

"So? I love it!"

"But…"

"No buts!" Sportacus chuckles, then he suddenly lays down next to the other and carefully rests his head sideways on Robbie's cold, but soft belly and smiles up to him "This small tummy is a part of you. And a _little_ fat isn't _that_ unhealthy. In fact, in situations like this, where you refuse to eat anything for days, it can even save your life. Or…at least help you not to grow too weak… And as I said, I _love_ it! It's so…soft and cute and…" instead of speaking on, he nuzzles his face into the belly and places a few soft kisses around the navel. Robbie looks down on him for a moment, still overwhelmed, but then he starts to giggle "Sportacute! Stop! That tickles!"

The elf stops and raises his gaze, blinking slowly "…What did you just call me?…"

"I… Uhm…" the felf won't stop blushing "…Sportacus…of course… What else?…"

"Are you _sure_?" a coy smile and another kiss "…I think I heard something else…"

"Well… Then you should probably put off that silly hat of yours so your pretty…I mean _pointy_ ears can hear more clearly again!…" Robbie buries his face in his hands with a low groan, realizing what he just said "…You…drive me crazy already… Are you aware of that?!"

"Yes," Sportacus kisses the felf's navel directly once, then he replaces his face with the hot-water bottle like he originally planned to, pulls the shirt over it and slides up to be on eye level with the villain, his voice soft "…Do you want me to stop with this?…"

Robbie isn't entirely sure whether he means stopping with driving him crazy or stopping with the caressing touches, but it doesn't really matter anyway.

"…No…" he looks into the blue eyes, mere centimeters in front of his own and swallows dryly, trying to find words that won't just sound like by love confused babbling again "…Don't stop… I… Could you…hug me? I… I feel cold…"

The answer is an arm that is wrapped around him and a deep, long kiss. Robbie closes his eyes in pure bliss.

A few minutes later they separate again and Sportacus smiles lovingly, whispering lowly "…Does that help as well?…"

"Hm… It does…" Robbie smiles dreamily "Can I get another, please?"

"Yes," the hero smirks lightly, reaches out over the felf for the bedside table, and seconds later holds the plate with two and a half sandwiches on it in front of him "…You'll get another. But only if you eat up."

"Blackmailer," Robbie laughs lowly and shortly nuzzles his nose against Sportacus' "All right. I would be an idiot, if I rejected this offer. We have a deal…Sportacute!…"


	55. Suppressed?!

He's still afraid of his powers.

But right now, right here, in these strong arms, he manages to ignore this fear and relaxes.

He's still cold and shivering as well, but Sportacus was right. Eating something actually helped a little. But what does even more, are the elf's presence and his caressing touches and gentle kisses he places not only on Robbie's lips, but on his entire face and throat as well.

They're both covered by several thick, fluffy blankets and snuggled up close to each other.

The hero's warm hand has slipped inside the pajama top and keeps traveling between the felf's back, chest and stomach back and forth, massaging and stroking or even rubbing gently over the still cold skin.

Each time he reaches the soft belly with the hot-water bottle on it, he places his flat hand next to it, holds the position for a few seconds and focuses just enough so a certain warmth starts radiating from his palm, warming the villain's worrying cold tummy.

They stay like this for several hours.

Neither of them speaking, but not sleeping either.

Just enjoying the peace and the calming presence of each other…

"…How are you doing this?…" murmurs Robbie suddenly lowly without opening his eyes. Sportacus, whose hand just reached the small tummy again, and is busy nuzzling his nose against the other's cheek sighs just as lowly "…What?…"

"…Your hand… Is that…this magic energy as well?…"

Sportacus opens his eyes in surprise "You…noticed?…"

"Hm," the felf nods and cuddles his face against the neck of the hero "…I may be cold and…a little dazzled by love, but I'm not dumb…"

"No, of course not! But…" Sportacus smiles shyly "…I just…hoped you wouldn't notice…because I didn't want to unsettle you…"

"Why would this unsettle me?" Robbie softly nudges the elf's chin with his nose and finally opens his eyes to look at him " _You_ can control your powers after all…"

"You'll be able to, soon as well. Don't worry. Once you're all healthy again I'll show you how to do it."

"…Hm…" the felf starts playing with the cuff of the other's shirt "…I have a question concerning my…energy…"

"Yes?"

"…Why…did it nearly kill me? Does that…happen to you, as well? Or is this…a felvish thing?…"

"The…latter I fear…" answers Sportacus softly but honestly, still caressing Robbie's belly "…You don't only own elvish energy… But you appear to never use it. Your fairy energy on the other hand appears to be in some…harmony with your body because of your lifestyle. You know… With your special way to build the things you invented…and your disguises…"

"…So… I always used some of the power without even actually realizing it…"

"Exactly. But your elvish part is just as powerful, since it efficiently prevented you from remembering and noticing who you really are, and like this even suppressed itself for all these years. Now that you remember…"

"…the energy that has been suppressed for so long needed release…"

"Precisely," the hero smiles soothingly "And adding to this came the heavy emotional distress you've been experiencing for a few weeks already. Elvish magic is _a lot_ about emotions… Which means that I don't think something like last night will happen again anytime soon. Once you've regained your strength we'll start with some small, easy exercises that will help you let off some…steam, if necessary. Without…causing something like last night…"

"Okay," Robbie sighs relieved.

That actually sounds good to him. Maybe he can live a more or less normal life here after all…

"…Where's your crystal?" Robbie tilts his head in confusion "I didn't see it lying on the table anymore…"

"Oh, I…put it in the closet…"

"What? Why? If anybody needs your help now…"

"They promised that they'll be careful. They will be fine…"

"Sportaflop," Robbie gives him a hard stare and tugs at his cuff "We just agreed that I'm not dumb, remember?! Why did you _really_ put it that far away? Because of me? You can't…"

"No. Yes… I… No…" with a sigh the hero carefully sits up and looks down at his hands "…It's…angry with me…"

"Excuse me. _What?!?_ " Robbie sits up as well, pressing the hot-water bottle close to his stomach with both hands and looks at his friend, blinking unbelievingly.

"It's angry. It…doesn't work anymore…" mumbles Sportacus uneasily and bites his lower lip.

"Is it broken?"

"…No… It just…doesn't think me worthy to be a hero anymore…"

"…So…you're trying to tell me…that…this thing… _thinks_?!" the villain isn't really surprised, just…mildly unsettled "…Does that mean…it has _feelings_ as well?…"

"No! And it doesn't… _think_ like we think… It… I really don't know how to explain it…"

"Okay. It's another magic elven thing. Let's just agree on this," the villain pinches the bridge of his nose "…So… What did you do to…become…'unworthy' in its eyes?"

The elf lowers his eyes and mumbles audibly ashamed "…I…yelled at it…"

"…And?…"

Sportacus' voice lowers even more "…And…I threw it against the wall…"

Robbie studies his friend for a moment, then he notices his clenched fists and takes one of them in his own hands to unfold it gently and entwine their fingers, his voice is soft "…Why were you this angry at it?…"

"…It… It just kept beeping and beeping and kept showing me…you…when you were suffering and unconscious… But I was already so desperate because I didn't know what to do to help you and… It just happened…"

"And since then it stopped?"

A weak nod and the hero squeezes his hand.

"…Oh boy, how can a magical crystal be this…sensitive?!" huffs Robbie and rolls his eyes "Don't worry about it. I'm sure an apology is all it needs!"

"No, Robbie, you don't understand! It…"

A knock at the door cuts him off.

The felf can't help it, he winces.

"It's okay. I think that's Stephanie," Sportacus swallows his desperation about his crystal and squeezes Robbie's hand.

"Yes, I know! That's the problem! You… You have to send her back home! At once!"

"But…"

"I could harm her!" the villain starts to tremble violently again.

"Robbie…" Sportacus takes a deep breath in to contradict and assure him that he won't because he's still far too weak for that. But then he sees his huge eyes, stricken with fear of the situation but mainly himself…

"…I'll talk to her…"


	56. Missed?!

"Stephanie."

"Good morning, Sportacus!" the pink girl waves at him as soon as the door is open "How's Robbie?"

"Better. But…"

"Did he eat the soup?"

"Yes. And it surely helped him. But…"

"Is he still sleeping?"

"…No…"

"Good! Because I brought my CD player. Maybe he…"

"Stephanie," interrupts Sportacus her this time softly, rests a hand on her shoulder and nudges her to sit down on the edge of the swung out door together with him, before he explains carefully "Robbie…does feel a little better. But…he's still really stressed at the moment…"

"Oh…" her smile drops, but then she assures quickly "That's okay! I brought some really relaxing music along as well!"

"That's really thoughtful of you! But…Robbie really doesn't want to see anybody at the moment…"

"…What? Why?…"

"He… He's afraid that he could…infect you…"

Stephanie furrows her brows "But he only got a cold! …Right!?"

"We're not…quite sure about that… Probably. But…he just really doesn't want to harm anybody by infecting him or her unnecessary…"

"Well… Maybe we should call a doctor?…"

"No!" the hero quickly shakes his head "He…is even more afraid of doctors…"

"Robbie Rotten…" Stephanie shakes her head with a sigh, but her smile is soft "Our big, villainous softy…"

Sportacus smiles as well "Yes… But he's far more than that…"

"Yes, I know," the girl's smile broadens and there's a knowing glance in her eyes "…By the way… Isn't he afraid to infect _you_ as well?"

"He was. But I…convinced him that I'll be fine. My immune system is very good…" the hero can't help a light blush because of the way Stephanie looks at him now "…I'm…really glad that he calmed down and agreed on letting me help him further… He still needs lots of…care after all…"

"Hm… I understand…" she nods slowly "…But I…really wish I could do something for him as well…"

"You already did! The soup really did him well! And he was very, very happy to get to know that you care for him so much!"

"Well, of course I do! All of us do! Did he…actually believe anything else?…" the girl tilts her head in a mixture of sorrow and confusion. Sportacus hesitates for a moment "…Yes… He thought…because he's the villain…"

"Yeah, but… He's _our_ villain! LazyTown wouldn't be the same without him! And we wouldn't have half as much fun as we have thanks to him!"

"True. And you know what? I'm gonna tell him exactly what you just said! I'm sure he'll feel even better then!" the hero smiles brightly "And if you really wanna help even more then you can take my place as a…hero for some time. As long as I take care of Robbie, I mean… Make sure the others don't endanger themselves while playing. And if anybody should get in danger, remember to work together, okay?"

"Sure!" she jumps up, giving him a happy, motivated smile "Don't worry about us! We'll be fine! And I'll leave the CD player here for you, just in case… Tell Robbie that he better soon becomes all healthy again! We already miss him!"

"Will be done!" Sportacus smiles happily and jumps up as well.

"And give him this…" Stephanie hugs him tightly "…If he wants it of course…"

Laughing, the hero returns the embrace "He'll be happy, believe me! He loves hugs!"

"Great!" she chuckles "Once he isn't 'infecting' anymore he'll get a group hug then!" Stephanie laughs as well, then she waves at the hero and turns to leave "Bye! And don't worry, we're good for a few days without you. Keep focusing on our beloved villain!"

"Okay. Take care!" smiling, he waves until the girl has disappeared into the woods, then he grabs the CD player, standing next to the door on the ground, and turns to head back inside the airship "Robbie, look what Stephanie… Robbie? What…"


	57. Lines?!

"…I-I…didn't do…a-anything… I j-just…w-wanted t-to…check w-whether I…could fix i-it…" stammers Robbie barely audible.

He's huddled up in a corner of the airship on the ground, his legs hugged to his chest, trembling violently, and his eyes wide with some sort of shock.

A few meters away from him, Sportacus' waistcoat and next to it the crystal which is flashing in a dark shade of blue…

"Robbie!" once he has recovered from the first shock, Sportacus is kneeling next to the villain within a blink, regarding the flashing stone with nothing more than a short glance "Robbie, are you all right???"

"I s-swear, I-I…didn't mean to…"

"Shush. Hush," the hero carefully grabs the felf's shoulders and notices that his eyes are still fixed on the crystal "Robbie. Hey. Look at me," he cups his cheek, gently forcing the other to face him "Are you hurt?"

Robbie blinks slowly and a few tears roll down his cheeks, his voice a broken whisper "…I touched it before… And this time I didn't even mean…any harm… But…this never happened…before…"

"What, Robbie? What happened?" Sportacus' voice becomes more pressing out of concern for his friend, but when the felf now lets go of his own legs and shaking turns his hands around with his palms showing up, the hero can't help but wince a little "Robbie! What…"

"…It…stung…" whispers the villain weakly and sniffs "…It stung…badly…"

Shaking a little now himself, Sportacus very carefully takes one of his hands in his own, one of them steadying Robbie's trembling hand while the fingers of his other very carefully trace the five blue lines, reaching from the felf's fingertips all the way up to his shirt, disappearing under the sleeve of it. They're gleaming weakly beneath Robbie's pale, thin, easy to break appearing skin…

"…Does it…hurt?…" the hero unconsciously starts to whisper now as well and looks up to meet the felf's teary eyes. A weak shrug and even more tears "I-I…really didn't do anything! I just…t-took it out of its box, but…then I already got this…electric shock…" Robbie swallows hard and sniffs "I… I'm so sorry, Sportacus! I shouldn't have…"

"No!" the hero shakes his head "Stop apologizing, Robbie. You did nothing wrong! All I care about is whether you got severely injured! And…this… I…" he watches the blue lines and feels fear crawling into his heart, although he doesn't really know why "…Can you get up?…"

"…I… I dropped it… I'm so sorry! I shouldn't have dropped it!" the felf fixes his eyes on the crystal again and starts to shake even worse "…It… It's angry at me…"

"Robbie…" Sportacus gives up in the conversation for now, instead he jumps onto his feet, bows down again and very carefully picks the quivering picture of misery up in his arms, murmuring soothingly "It's okay, Robbie. Let me take you back to bed and then I'm gonna check what these blue lines are, okay? You'll be fine."

"…It's…my fault…" the felf buries his face into the crook of the hero's neck "…All this trouble you're going through…"

"Hush. It's not your fault, Robbie. You did absolutely nothing wrong," the elf places a soft kiss on his hair and hurries up to place the villain on the bed, seating him against the pile of pillows.

"B-But your crystal… First you got angry at it because of me and it stopped working and now I ruined it completely! I'm…" he pulls his knees up to his chest again and buries his face in his hands, sobbing lowly "…All I'm good at is destroying…"

"Stop it. That's _not_ true, Robbie!" contradicts Sportacus firmly and gently pulls the shaking hands away from the felf's face, looking at the palms with care once more "…I've never heard about anything like this… Does it still hurt in any way?"

"…No… I don't…think so…" Robbie stares at his own palms and arms and slowly snaps back into reality again, starting to shiver even worse and feeling ice cold out of a sudden, then he whispers audibly scared "…What… What is this?…"

"I don't know… Wait, let me help you take off your shirt so we can check how far up they go…" carefully Sportacus lifts the pajama top over the other's head and puts it aside. Then he looks back at Robbie and takes a sharp breath in, not able to suppress a weak whisper "…Oh no…"


	58. Blue?!

Before this whole drama started, Robbie has never seen Sportacus truly desperate or scared or even mildly unsettled.

He even doubted that the hero could feel like this, because the elf always appeared happy, positive, agile and, even in dangerous situations, mostly calm and just very rarely, when Robbie really did something remarkably stupid or dangerous, slightly angry or annoyed.

But now, the elf is far from this harmonic state of mind.

He's stressed.

Of course he is.

Each time Robbie appears to be better again, this only lasts for a few minutes or hours at best and then they get thrown back. Sometimes in an even worse state than before…

And now the hero looks tired.

Not necessarily in a physical way.

But his lighthearted spirit slowly seems to fade…

"…'Oh no'…doesn't sound…good…" whispers Robbie after what feels like minutes and follows the elf's shocked gaze, looking down on his own chest. The blue lines run from the fingertips of each of his hands, over is arms and shoulders, along his collarbone, to meet in the middle of his chest, fusing together as one thick, blue strand, leading down a bit until they part again, spreading on each side of his chest, looking like ten blood vessels of his lungs now, five on each side, gleaming right under his pale skin…

"…Oh…" the felf tries to think of anything logical to say, but the only thing that comes into his mind at this moment is "…And I never thought that blue is my color…"

Sportacus doesn't react for a few seconds.

But then he suddenly drops down on the bed as well. Sitting on its edge, he just stares at the felf for another few seconds before he asks with audibly shaking voice "…A-Are you…in any pain?…"

"No," Robbie shakes his head after a short moment of hesitation and manages a weak smile "I'm fine. I guess… I was…pretty shocked, but now I'm good," he hesitates once more, studying the hero's still shocked gaze and then his own appearance again "…Except of these strange, blue gleaming lines of course…"

Shaking with pure fear for his friend, Sportacus slowly traces his fingers along the blue lines again, his eyes never leaving Robbie's "…Do you sense anything strange?…"

"No. I told you, I'm really fine. I don't sense them at all. They're just…there…" he shrugs and jokes weakly "…Maybe…it's some…elven tattoo? Do you know what else these crystals can be used for?"

The hero doesn't even register what the felf just said. He's already jumped up and is on his way to the closet with his books "Tell me immediately if you start to feel strange! I have to check whether I can find any information about this phenomenon!"

Robbie blinks in surprise.

The elf definitely is stressed.

And worried beyond limits.

The villain himself still feels a little shaky from the shock and cold and…even slightly nauseated. But this wasn't the first time he got an electric shock…and he often feels a little sick afterwards. But telling the already worried sick and almost hectic hero this seems like no good idea to him… Besides, otherwise he feels fine!

"…Sportaflop, you really don't have to fuss over this so much. I'm fine. I just…wasn't expecting this… And it hurt quite badly for a second, but that's long over now…"

The hero looks up from the book he's reading and gives him an uncharacteristic stern glance "Robbie, there are ten blue lines running through your body now. You're everything _but_ fine!"

"Oh, come on! How bad could this be!? I mean… Your people probably wouldn't use anything that could actually hurt someone severely! Right?!" the felf tries a comforting smile. Sportacus doesn't reply anything, instead he fixes his eyes on the book again.

Robbie starts to feel a little uneasy.

Usually Sportacus is the positive, encouraging nature, not the villain. But right now…he has to watch how the hero turns each side more violent, his expression growing darker and darker and his breathing starts to speed up.

Just when Robbie is about to ask whether he found anything that angers him, the elf suddenly closes the book with a loud thud and throws it to the ground with an even louder thud, yelling " ** _That's exactly it!_** **I don't know _anything_ anymore!** It feels like most of the stuff we learned at school is either completely useless or a **_manipulation_** of the truth! To let our folk appear **_great_** and **_fair_** and **_good_**! Although it probably is just the **_opposite_**! Look at yourself! Look at how far **_my people_** have driven your genetic parents and even your adoptive ones! Look how far they've driven **_you_**! Manipulating your **_very own_** mind because you believed yourself a **_monster_**! Just because of **_stories_**! Because of a stupid **_fear_** of felves! The **_real_** monsters are the **_Elders_** for hunting your kin down like this!!!" Sportacus stomps his foot, turns around and suddenly glares at the still dark blue flashing crystal on the ground " **And _you_!** " he approaches it, his eyes cold and gleaming with determination " **You belong in the _trash_!** "

" **No!** " Robbie didn't think during the hero's rant, he just listened and grew more and more afraid. Not for himself, but for his friend. The moment the elf turned to attack the crystal, he reflexively jumped up and stood between them without thinking about it. His hands raised, his eyes begging and his voice and body trembling "Don't do it!"

"…Robbie…" Sportacus holds in his move at once and stares at the felf, his eyes slowly starting to return to their normal appearance again, but his voice is still reflecting his anger "Who knows what this thing does to you next time you get close to it?! I won't risk your safety any further by keeping something around I got so little information about! And I realized this far too late! Let me…"

"No. Don't do anything you might… _will_ regret later."

"But you…"

"No. Sportacus…" still shaking, but smiling weakly, Robbie cups the hero's cheeks, trying to forget the blue lines under his skin for the moment "…You're angry right now. And nobody is able to understand your anger better than me. I know that this feeling is consuming now… But you have to calm down. This isn't you. Please… I really don't want you to make mistakes just because…of me…"

"…It's not because of you…" Sportacus swallows hard, but leans into the touch, his voice lower now and a little broken "…It's because…I feel so…weak… I… I'm used to instinctively knowing what to do and how to help someone. But… But now I'm not even sure anymore…whether…my training…" tears gather in his eyes "…was good enough… Whether I actually learned how to _help_ people… Robbie… Why do you think I knew what to do to guide you through the process of releasing energy?! We… We learned how to…fight like this… They said it was just for…emergencies, but…" his voice trails off and he looks at his friend with pleading eyes. Robbie doesn't know what he's mutely begging for or whether the hero is even aware of his own gaze at the moment. But he knows meanwhile what Sportacus would do to help him in such a moment of distress…

"…You're a good hero, Sportacus. I know you don't like the term 'hero', so I can as well say that you're a good man, or elf, or whatever. But you still are a hero for these people here…and for me. Whether you like it or not. But…not mainly because of your training. This only gave you the abilities to help and save. And yes, the elven school obviously did a _very_ good job to prepare you for this. But you're mainly our hero because of your huge heart. Because you see the best in all of us. Even in the town villain. And _that's_ what makes you Sportacus. And our hero. Not what you learned from your teachers. And don't believe your people are monsters. Maybe…the Elders did or do make some mistakes… But…they surely got a reason to fear…my race…"

"Nobody should be judged by what kin they belong to. And they've no right to hunt you!" contradicts Sportacus weakly "…But otherwise…" he wraps his arms around the villain and buries his face in the crook of the felf's neck, whispering in a half sob "…Thank you! But I'm so sorry, Robbie!…"

The villain returns the hug at once, leaning on the hero a little to support his own still weakened and heavily trembling body "You don't have to be sorry. I touched the crystal. I don't know what or why it did this to me but I'm sure it wasn't your fault!"

"Yes… No… I mean… I'm not just sorry about that… I… I'm sorry that you…have to comfort _me_ now… It should be the other way round! This is not…"

"Sportaflop," with an audible smile, Robbie gently strokes the hero's back "You can't always act strong. And shall I tell you something?…" he takes a deep breath in a lets himself fall completely slack in the hero's arms. Shocked, Sportacus tightens his grip on the other "Robbie! What…"

"…That you let me see this vulnerable side of you as well…gives me strength and made it a lot easier for me to trust you blindly this quickly…" he smiles, his cheek now resting on the hero's shoulder "…Because…it makes you human…and like this I…think although you're a hero, I might…stand a chance to love you…without disappointing you too much…"

"…Oh, Robbie…" Sportacus sighs lowly, but can't help a moved smile, then he carefully picks the felf up, like they did it before once, with the villain's legs wrapped around the hero's waist, and carries him back to the bed, placing a soft kiss on his neck, murmuring "…I really hope you're aware of how amazing you are by now…"

A soft chuckle "I…might start to believe you, if you keep insisting on that…"

"Okay," Sportacus smiling places Robbie on the bed and sits down next to him, as close as possible, nuzzling his face further against his neck for a moment, before searching his eyes "Amazing. You're amazing. Incredible. Caring. Loving. You…"

"Okay, okay! Stop it, Sportacompliment!" giggles Robbie quickly, blushing heavily "That was only a joke! But…though…thanks…"

"Oh…" Sportacus tilts his head, then he takes both of the others hands and looks at the palms again "…We'll find something to turn this effect back again. I promise. I won't stop until we do! But…please, do tell me, if they start to hurt or you feel strange or…"

"Sportacus," interrupts Robbie softly and gently brushes their noses together "Believe me, I'm fine. And as long as you're there for me, I will always be fine."

The hero looks at him for a moment, trying to find words to articulate the deep feelings he has for the man…or the felf in front of him.

But he can't.

Instead, he gently presses the other deeper into the pile of pillows and starts planting soft kisses along his neck, slowly moving down, spreading them over his clavicle as well, following the blue lines out of pure instinct as it feels, to somehow kiss them away. Of course it doesn't work, but this action feels incredibly right and good, nevertheless…

Soon, he can hear and sense that Robbie's breathing speeds up a bit…

"…Sportacus…" whimpers the felf suddenly softly. At once the hero looks up, his eyes wide with shock "I'm sorry! Oh no… Did you… Did I… I'm sorry, Robbie! I didn't mean to…"

"Oh, shut up, you blue elf!" the villain chuckles lowly and takes the hero's face between his hands, gently guiding him upwards again, his eyes and voice soft, but his breathing still a little hard "…It felt great. And I… I'd love you to…continue… But… We… We're both in no condition to make reasonable choices… You're still stressed by anger and I'm still cold and shaky… We need to calm down and rest again, before…" he blushes even more "…we continue to…intensify our cuddling… Otherwise we might feel sorry afterwards… You…know us…"

Sportacus, blushing and breathing just as hard, nods slowly and smiles "…You're right… Yes… Okay. Let me just…put the crystal away where…it's safe and won't hurt you anymore and then, I'll return to you…"

"All right. But don't touch it directly! Use…a towel or something. Even if it had no negative effects on me, we shouldn't take any risks…"

Sportacus nods and before he jumps up, he smiles at the felf again "…Did I mention that I love you?…" and kisses him shortly on the lips.

Blushing even more now, Robbie gladly returns the kiss, but then he lovingly nudges the hero's arm and laughs softly "You're such a dork, Sportacus! …I love you, too…"


	59. Scent?!

"…Stephanie was right… This music actually is relaxing…"

"…Hm…"

"…And she… She really…said all this…about me?…"

"Hm."

"…And I thought they hated me for always trying to spoil their fun…" Robbie cuddles up even closer to his friend who has wrapped both his arms around the felf in a soothing, protecting manner.

"They don't," murmurs the hero softly, placing a light kiss on the villain's forehead "On the contrary."

The felf sighs lowly and nuzzles his face further against the elf's strong neck, his hands are placed on the bare, muscular chest of the other.

Sportacus had stored the crystal away securely and then started a CD with low, soft, calming music, mixed with some sounds of nature, like the singing of birds or the running of water.

And before they laid down in bed again this cuddled up, Robbie shyly pleaded the hero to take off his pajama top as well because…he was sure that _direct_ body contact would warm him quicker and more efficiently than the one disturbed by layers of clothing…

That's the only reason.

Really!

And…it actually works…

"…Are you getting any warmer?…" asks the elf now softly, as if he just read Robbie's mind. The villain nods lightly against his neck "Yes. Much warmer. Thank you."

A pause, underlined by the soft music.

"…I really wish our teachers would've told us more about felves… But even when I asked, they said this wasn't necessary, because the chances that we ever met a felf were practically nonexistent," Sportacus gently caresses Robbie's back with his hand, on his face a dreamy smile "…And then I meet the most wonderful, amazing man in the whole world, fall head over heels in love with him and it turns out that he's a felf… If that's not fortune, then I don't know what is!"

The villain blushes at these compliments, but his thoughts are serious "…You're right… If the Elders had decided to send somebody else to catch me… Who knows where…or if I _were_ at all today…"

"Please, don't mention this!" pleads the hero and tightens his embrace even more "I can't stand the thought of anything bad…or more precisely even _worse_ happening to you…" a cold shiver runs down his spine. Robbie senses this and gently strokes the hero's chest "Hey… Calm down. I'm here, right? Here with you… And I'll be fine. You take care of me. Everything is all right…"

The felf isn't sure when he learned to talk this calm and soothing, despite his usual panicky, negative nature. But he doesn't really care. He does this for Sportacus…

"…Yes… All right…" murmurs the hero and takes a deep breath in, nuzzling his face into Robbie's soft, black hair, breathing in his sweet, unique scent, his mind is slowly drifting off, the excitement of the unexpected incident taking its troll now "…You smell nice…"

"You washed my hair with your shampoo," chuckles the felf softly "Don't tell me I smell like apples now?!"

"…Hm… Do I smell like apples?…"

"No," Robbie can't help a dreamy smile now, as well and his eyes slowly fall shut, enjoying the closeness and everything of this moment "…You smell like…Sportacus…"

"See? My shampoo doesn't have an own, strong scent…" the hero's fingers lazily run up and down the villain's spine "…What…does…Sportacus smell like?…"

Robbie chuckles "Talking about yourself in third person? Do I have to worry about you more than I already do, Sporty?" he mimics the elf's gentle caressing, but on his chest, and when his friend giggles lightheartedly like he hasn't in a long time, his own voice lowers and becomes thoughtful and honest "…You smell like fresh air…grass…forest…nature…and…warm milk…"

"Milk!?" Sportacus laughs softly, his eyes have fallen shut as well meanwhile "Why do I smell like milk?"

"How should I know?!" the felf nudges him lovingly and chuckles "But that's what you smell like to me… So… Now it's _your_ turn. What do I smell like, hm?"

The hero takes his time to think about an answer, since Robbie simply smells like Robbie to him and he needs a moment to isolate the different smells that mix together as the felf's.

Finally he whispers almost absently "…You smell like a flower…but none that I know… It's sweet and mild and…sensual… You smell like the warmth and comfort one seeks during winter… You smell like…home…"

Silence.

"…Listen to us…" Robbie intended to chuckle, but instead his whisper sounds dead serious and thoughtful "…Two grown men, cuddled together in one bed, talking about how they experience each other's scent… It's ridiculous…"

"…and yet it feels right…"

"…Yes… Just as right and good…as when we kiss…" Robbie's hand comes to stop on the place on the hero's chest where he can sense his heartbeat beneath the skin and muscles and he suddenly takes a shuddering breath in.

"Robbie?" worried, the hero stills the gentle touches on the other's back "Is something wrong?"

"…No…" the felf swallows hard "…I just… I'm scared… I love you so much…but I…could hurt you…in so many different ways… I… I want to give you all I've got. I want to show you how much I love you! But…I don't know…whether I actually…can… I…" his voice trails off. "Robbie…" one of the elf's hands moves up to carefully massage a tender spot on the felf's nape, his voice low but soothing "…You don't have to prove or show me anything. Being in love is just as new for me as for you. And we won't do anything we're not both one hundred percent comfortable with. Besides…you show me how much you love me the whole time already… It doesn't take much. When you hold and embrace…and calm me that's already the biggest proof of your love for me. Honestly."

Robbie feels a tear squeezing past his closed eyes and running down his cheek, his whisper sounds slightly broken "…I love you…" he presses further into the hand on his nape and makes a low noise that is close to a purr again.

"I love you, too. So much…" Sportacus smiles lovingly and keeps applying gentle pressure on that spot "…Let's try to sleep and relax a little… If you like and feel up to it, afterwards we can start training… Remember, the kids already miss you…"

Robbie is too exhausted to reply anything on that, but Sportacus can sense his happy, moved smile against his neck, before they both drift into an exhausted but peaceful and protected sleep…


	60. Training?!

"…Is this really necessary?…"

"Yes."

"…But this is…"

"Robbie."

"What?"

"I told you to focus."

"I'm trying to! For at least half an hour already! You should've noticed by now that I'm not the best at focusing!" pouts Robbie and crosses his arms in front of his chest.

"Fifteen minutes," with a small sigh, Sportacus lifts the book, he's been reading and searching in for more information about his crystal, off his lap, stands up from the ground and walks over to sit down behind the felf on the warm grass, cross-legged as well "…And that other night when you had to, you were able to focus very well, despite your bad condition," he carefully rests his hands on Robbie's hunched shoulders and starts a careful massage "…You're all stiff again… Relax."

"That night I wasn't quite myself. And how can I relax when I'm supposed to focus!?" growls the felf partly desperate and partly annoyed, but though he gives in the next second and his body reflexively presses against the hands of the hero and his own arms fall slack in his lap again, a low sigh escaping his slightly parted lips.

After their nap and a good, even quite healthy but though even for Robbie delicious meal the hero prepared for the two of them right in front of the villain's eyes, impressing him with some joggling acts, but mostly with his constant, happy, influent smile, they agreed that it would be best if they went outside for training. Just for safety…

Now, he's sitting on a blanket on the grass, his legs crossed, the warm sun shining down on both of them. They're both wearing their usual trousers again now, but with light, white shirts. Sportacus insisted on this, since he believes Robbie's usual suit and waistcoat are far too tight and uncomfortable to let him breathe enough during this…training now…

"…Your _body_ needs to relax. Your _mind_ will focus on its own then…" murmurs the hero softly into the felf's ear, interrupting his thoughts with this "That is what you're supposed to practice now. The first step. Nothing more."

"…But I…really don't know how to do that…" admits Robbie lowly with audible shame "…I'm…pretty bad at relaxing in regular… I'm lazy, but…that's not the same as relaxed…"

"I know," assure Sportacus gently "That's what I'm there for now. I'll help you to learn a way to relax."

"Huh… I've tried everything there is to relax and finally be able to sleep peacefully just _once_. And now I'm actually expecting help from the most agile and flippidy-floppedy person on the whole planet for that!" the villain chuckles weakly but senses that the tension actually disappears from the muscles in his back and shoulders thanks to his friend's gentle massage "…Hm… And it actually seems to work…"

Sportacus smiles happily and starts to give some more, low, soft advices "…Breathe in through your nose, into your stomach and exhale through your mouth. Slowly. Focus on something nice…that soothes you… Like the birds' singing, the warm sun, the wind…"

"…you…" the word was just a whisper, but it's enough to trigger a small chain reaction inside Robbie.

He can sense his heartbeat quicken, just like his breathing, because a small part of him still fears a rejection, a negative response to his verbalized feelings.

He doesn't know why.

It's ridiculous.

But he can't help it…

And he doesn't have to.

Sportacus' hands slide from the felf's shoulders down and around the still slightly tensed body, to very carefully slip underneath Robbie's shirt to rest on his belly and chest now.

Motionless for a few seconds.

But then they start to draw slow circles into his skin. In the same moment, Sportacus lightly rests his head on the other's shoulder, turns his head a bit and kisses the side of his throat, his voice low and caring "…Then give in… Let go. I'll catch you."

Robbie senses that this is just as much a literal promise as a metaphorical statement.

And this triggers a second, much stronger chain reaction.

This one lets his body fall completely slack against the hero's behind his back.

His breathing slows down.

His heartbeat grows calmer and his eyes fall shut.

His senses become stronger.

At least it feels like this.

Maybe he becomes truly aware of them just in this moment…

He smells the forest and flowers and several other things the light wind carries over from the forest and town. He even thinks someone is baking a cake…

He hears so many noises. Most of them from the woods, but there's a faint laughing as well. Probably of a child…or a bunch of children…

He senses…everything.

Every cell of his skin that is in contact with the hero swamps him with an incredible sensation and a warmth that is overwhelming.

But in a good way, that's for sure…

Robbie soon hears another sound.

It's low, but very close by and therefore sounds loud…

It's a moan.

But not a painful one. On the contrary.

It's a low, relieved, freeing moan.

His moan.

Usually Robbie would stop in pure embarrassment now.

But for some reason, he can't.

Maybe it's because of Sportacus' soft, encouraging murmurs, assuring him that he understands, that this is a normal and good reaction…that he's doing great…

"…I'm not sure whether this is a good way to cure a cold…"


	61. Obvious?!

Both men tense up at the calm call and simply freeze in shock for a few seconds.

But then, Robbie somehow reacts even quicker than Sportacus.

"Stephanie!" he jumps up, sways a bit, and starts spinning around in sheer panic until he sees her standing just a few meters away from them, then he quickly turns his back on her and exclaims "What are you _doing_ here?!? Didn't Sportacus warn you that I'm dangerous?!"

"Infective!" the hero jumps up as well, his face turning a light shade of red and he struggles to look the girl straight into the eyes now "He… He means infective…"

"Yeah, I figured that he meant that," the girl smiles and tilts her head "Miss Busybody asked me to give you this…" she takes a mobile phone out of her handbag and hands it to the surprised hero "She said in case you need help with Robbie or anything we can get for either of you, just call her. We're all there for you," she emphasizes the last sentence and looks at Robbie's back during this, hoping that he'll understand that this assurance is especially directed at him. The villain winces a little at these words, but otherwise he doesn't react.

"…Hm…" Stephanie looks at Sportacus again, who's absently studying the phone in his hands, still blushing, and her smile turns a little impish "…By the way… I'm sorry, if I startled you…and…if I disturbed you at…anything…"

"You didn't! We just… I tried to help Robbie…relax…" Sportacus feels his face heating up even more "…And…the fresh air does him well…" he glances at the felf standing next to him, still with his back towards the pink girl, silently begging for help.

He doesn't know what to do out of a sudden.

The knowing smile of Stephanie makes him feel insecure. Simply because he isn't sure how much…a child should…know about this…subject at her age… Nobody told him about this at school. He wasn't…trained for that…

"Sportacus," Stephanie gently nudges his hand with her own and when he looks at her with a light wince, she gives him a warmhearted smile "It's okay. I know that you like Robbie."

It's funny, but the hero suddenly feels like either sitting down or flipping away now.

But he does neither.

Instead, he stammers "I… Uhm… H-How…do you…"

"We all do. It really wasn't that hard to figure out. The way you look at him is the same way Uncle Milford looks at Bessie."

The elf blushes even harder but then looks up in surprise at the low chuckle coming from the villain. Stephanie smirks "And _you_ , Robbie, never smile except when you look at Sportacus! And when he isn't looking at you during this, your expression becomes all soft and dreamy!"

Robbie's chuckle raises to a low laugh, but he still doesn't turn around "Well, Pink Girl, then you and your friends obviously are smarter and more attentive than we were until a few days ago!"

Sportacus and Stephanie exchange a surprised glance. That is one of the few reactions they were _not_ expecting from him.

"…Robbie…" the hero forgets his own embarrassment of the situation, quickly hands the phone back to Stephanie for the moment and carefully steps in front of his friend, searching his gaze "…Are you…all right?…"

"Of course I am!" the felf looks up to meet his gaze, not caring to hide the tears rolling down his cheeks, his smile wry and weak "…I'm just trying to wrap my mind around the fact that the kids are aware of something for months or even years already, I'm still struggling to truly believe _now_ , even after everything you've already done for me…"

"Oh, Robbie…" with a sad smile, Sportacus gently cups the villain's cheeks and carefully wipes his tears away with his thumbs "The only thing that matters is that you finally become happy and healthy. And you _will_ realize that this love exists and is real! Just give yourself some more time. Okay?"

"Sportacus is right, Robbie," agrees the girl softly "You've been grumpy and mostly alone for so long already, I'm sure it's hard to understand that we care for you.  But we actually do. _Especially_ Sportacus!"

Robbie blushes a little, but the hero nods supportive. Now completely calm and settled again, because it has become obvious that Stephanie understands more of this subject than he thought, and that she's absolutely fine with these not so new news.

"We've got time, Robbie. All the time you need. I won't go. We won't go. You won't be alone again."

"Ever!" adds Stephanie seriously "…And… I already talked with the other kids… Once you're healthy again, and we're too noisy and you need to sleep, just tell us. We'll try to be quieter then. Promised!"

Robbie wiggles his nose, desperately trying to hold back even more tears.

Every muscle of his body insists on turning around to face the girl now. But his fear to possibly hurt her is too strong.

Instead he murmurs lowly "…You were right, Stephanie… I'm nothing but a big Softie…"

The next second he winces violently in surprise when two arms wrap around his waist and he can feel something in the size of a head pressing against his back, followed by a whisper "And that's why everybody likes you. But we…failed to tell you so before… I'm sorry."

The felf just gasps for breath, his eyes fixed on the hero in front of him. There superior thought in his head is 'Don't touch her!', but he though registers her words and feels more tears coming up. He wants to reply something, although he isn't sure what, but he doesn't manage to form words.

Finally Sportacus decides to rescue him, on his lips a moved, happy smile "…Stephanie…"

"Yes, yes, I know. I could get infected…" she laughs lowly and lets go of the beloved town villain "Don't worry, I'll leave you alone again now… But Sportacus, do use the phone if you should need any help!" she throws it into the elf's hands and slowly steps back "Robbie… Get well, soon, please!"

"…I… I'll…try…" rasps Robbie weakly, his eyes still fixed on the hero, the only sight that soothes him so he won't start shaking just now "…Bye… And…thanks for the visit…Stephanie…"

"You're very welcome! I'll check on you tomorrow again… Bye, you two!"

"Bye," Sportacus waves at her as well and once she's gone, he pulls Robbie into a tight embrace, murmuring lovingly "…I'm so, so proud of you!…"


	62. Practice?!

"…You're doing really, really great, Robbie…" murmurs Sportacus softly, while he gently keeps massaging the felf's back and shoulders, especially applying careful pressure on the spots he meanwhile figured are extremely tense.

He's kneeling behind his friend's back, who's sitting on the blanket on the grass again with his legs crossed and his hands raised in front of him.

Robbie's fingers are dancing through the air in an apparently random rhythm.

But it's far from that.

What looks easy and almost childish now is the result of several hours of intensive but calm work.

After Stephanie left them alone again, Robbie finally managed to achieve a balanced state of mind.

Calm and relaxed but at the same time highly focused.

Sportacus said that this was enough for today, since he really didn't want the villain to overexert himself again, but Robbie begged him to show him the next step and after some minutes of arguing, the hero gave in and started teaching the felf these special hand movements.

And Robbie turned out to be a remarkable good student.

At least in this topic, involving rhythm and choreography.

It didn't take him long to know the gestures by heart.

What turned out to be far more difficult for him was the third step: controlling his energy flow. Mainly because he was obviously scared that he could accidentally cause such a devastation like the last time again, and the hero spent a great deal of time calming him again, wiping his tears away for him and reminding him of the first step, he already learned today…

And eventually, with Sportacus' help in form of the calming massage, Robbie did.

A slightly shocked, but mostly happy squeal of excitement fell from his open mouth when the first trace of color appeared in the air, following his moving fingers, staying there for a few seconds until they faded to nothing but air again.

Sportacus cheered and congratulated him on this incredible quick success and encouraged him to keep going and trying for as long as he felt comfortable to, without interrupting his own work for more than a few seconds.

"…And…you do this…as well to…let off some steam?…" Robbie's voice sounds calm and lazy and he doesn't interrupt his actions. Sportacus watches him over the felf's shoulder, feeling prouder and prouder with each time Robbie manipulates his own energy even more, so the colors he's drawing in the air turn brighter and last longer.

"…Not that often anymore… Sometimes… But I used to practice this very often…almost each day as a child. For example when I was angry or sad…" admits the hero lowly "…And it took me several days until it actually worked… And _months_ until I got this good, like you already are now! You can be really proud of yourself!"

Robbie blushes a little and after a moment of hesitation he can't resist anymore and paints a huge heart of colorful energy into the air, murmuring shyly "…For you… I… Uhm… A thank you for everything… Especially for your patience with me…"

Sportacus feels a fluttering in his chest, raises his own hand in front of the villain's body and focuses for a second, before quickly drawing a second heart next to the one of Robbie, whispering into his ear "…And that's for you being you. And trusting me. I love you, Robbie."

"I love you, too," replies the felf, blushing furiously by now, but instinctively leaning further into the remaining hand on his back.

They stay like this for some time. Not needing any words in this moment…

"…We should head back inside… It's getting late and I think the storm's coming back…" sighs the elf reluctantly after a careful glance up into the darkening sky.

"…Hm… Okay… But only if you carry me, Sportacare!" he grins and slowly lowers his hands, feeling pleasantly light after being able to control his energy a little already. The hero doesn't even reply verbally on this, he just picks the villain, plus blanket up and carries him back into the airship. Robbie giggles softly and lovingly nudges the hero's chin with his nose, although he doesn't know why. Sportacus isn't surprised at all "…You feel happy now, don't you?…"

A soft nod.

"That's perfectly normal. Your body feels relieved. It appears you actually got quite an amount of disturbing, nervous energy inside you again… That's probably because you're still sick… Your magical part starts to fall into balance again as it seems, but your pure _body_ still needs rest and food and warmth and care…"

"Well, that's what I got you for now, right?" smiles Robbie happily and looks up to his hero after he got put down on the bed again.

"Right," with a gentle, loving smile, Sportacus places a kiss on the other's forehead and murmurs "…I'll have to get the book. I left it on the grass… I'll be right back. Don't move."

The villain nods, still smiling as the elf flips away again to get the book.

His thoughts are light as they haven't been in a long time. He's sure that everything is going to be all right again now. He can feel it!…

When the hero enters his airship again, he tilts his head in surprise "I thought you said you won't move?"

Robbie shrugs weakly. He's standing in the cockpit in front of the huge window at the side, staring at the destroyed land outside, his arms wrapped around himself, his voice barely above a whisper "…I still can't believe that I…did this…"

"Robbie…" Sportacus puts the book on the bedside table and walks over to the opposite end of the ship to carefully wrap his arms around the felf from behind "Please, stop torturing yourself with the thought that you're dangerous. You are not."

"…You're sure that I'll learn to control this energy completely?…" he turns his head a little to search the hero's gaze, his eyes fearful.

"Yes," assures the elf once more firmly, grabs the villain's hand and guides him over to the bathroom, knowing from earlier that the other prefers his privacy while stripping down to his boxers "…Let's get changed, okay? It's almost eight… Would you like to eat anything before we sleep?"

"No, just…something to drink I guess…" Robbie shakes his head. He's standing in the open door of the small, separate room, watching the hero strip off his shirt first now. For some reason, he can't look away right away. He's wondering how the elf can be this muscular and at the same time feel so soft each time Robbie cuddles up to him… But before the hero can put off his trousers as well, he quickly pulls himself together and disappears into the bathroom to change into his borrowed pajama as well…

"You look beautiful."

"W-What?" flustered, Robbie stops in his move to slip into the bed under the covers and looks at the hero who's standing at the opposite side of it, in his hands a bottle of water and two cups he intended to put on the bedside table.

"…I said you look beautiful. And not for the first time," the elf smiles gently, but this smile fades a little when his gaze falls on Robbie's hands again "…You're honestly okay, right? They don't hurt you?…"

Robbie blinks and looks down onto his fingers "…Oh… Well, to be all honest, I already forgot about them… So no, they don't."

"…Good…" Sportacus nods slowly, puts the bottle and cups away and carefully climbs into the bed. Robbie follows his example and it happens completely reflexively that they're both lying on their sides now, facing and studying each other in silence.

"That was…a pretty successful day, wasn't it?…" murmurs the felf finally lowly, his eyes never leaving the hero's.

"Indeed it was… Except of the part with the crystal…" Sportacus reaches out to very gently cup and stroke his friend's cheek.

"Let's forget about that for a moment, please," Robbie shuffles closer to the elf, smiling soothingly "It honestly wasn't your fault."

"But it's _my_ responsibility. And…"

"Oh no, not again!" groans Robbie convincingly annoyed, before he smiles again, lightly blushing "Before you get any more ideas of blaming yourself, shut your mouth and…kiss me!? Please…"

Sportacus can't help but melt at this plead, combined with the felf's shy, slightly insecure smile and closes the last distances between them, whispering softly "With pleasure," then he carefully, gently presses his own lips on Robbie's and starts kissing him lovingly, carefully, leaving him enough time and space to pull back again, if he feels the need to.

But Robbie doesn't even think about retreating…


	63. (Bonus) Hormones, Sensations & Thunder?!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> If you don't want to read about sex, skip this chapter!!
> 
> This is a bonus smut-chapter (containing three parts) and not necessary for understanding the further plot!  
> It's nothing hardcore, mostly fuffy first-time sex and them being dorks as usually.  
> So if you don't want to read it that's perfectly fine. Just skip this chapter.  
> Otherwise - enjoy!

** Hormones?! **

 

The kiss appears to deepen and become more passionate on its own, the longer they continue with it.

One of Sportacus' hands is still cupping and stroking the felf's cheek while his other one is lightly, but lovingly running up and down his back. Robbie's hands are both tangled up in the pajama top of the hero, clinging to him as if for dear life once more.

He doesn't want Sportacus to leave.

He doesn't want the moment to end.

Ever.

And Sportacus feels the same. He slowly moves his hand to slip it under the felf's shirt. Sensing the warm skin under his fingertips causes the hero's heartbeat to quicken. His hand travels further to the villain's chest and stops on his left side, feeling Robbie's as well quick, fiercely beating heart.

The felf doesn't notice anything anymore. All he's aware of in this moment are Sportacus' loving touches and his soft lips, pressing on and moving with his own. And in the back of his head he weakly realizes that every kiss they shared until now was great and special and mesmerizing. But this kiss now is…something more…

It sends sparks through his body…

And he becomes aware of completely new sensations, running through his whole body, setting every nerve on happy excitement…

After long minutes they part again, both breathing heavily, eyes wide and gleaming with what can only be described as lust. Blushing furiously.

"…Your heart feels as if it's doing jumping jacks…" whispers the hero with a soft smile and caresses the villain's cheek with his thumb. Robbie chuckles softly "Only _you_ could come up with such a comparison, Sportacute. But…it describes it pretty well, though I guess… And yours does, too…" his hands loosen his grip on the hero's shirt when the elf's blue, faithful eyes remind him that he won't leave his side. Instead he now absently runs his fingers along the neck and then jawline of his friend, before he carefully starts playing with his moustache. The hero chuckles lowly and is quick enough to place ghostly kisses on his hands, his eyes never leaving the felf's. Robbie swallows hard and whispers "…You always say that you think me beautiful… It's about time I say it back, although it's obvious, of course… You're the most handsome man I've ever met, Sportacus. And no matter how much fun I made of your muscles and your strength… The truth is…I…adore you."

It takes Sportacus all of his willpower to resist his instinct and happy excitement and not pin the other to the bed and kiss him far more passionately and forcefully this time.

Instead his one hand on the felf's cheek gently strokes a few strands of black hair out of his beautiful face and he stammers "R-Robbie… I… Thank you! You… You are amazing! I wish I could…" he quickly bites his tongue. The villain smiles softly, knowing exactly what his friend wanted to say and shifts even closer so their chests are now pressed flush together, his low whisper is of a strange tone he can't quite sort in himself "…Show me…"

Sportacus' heart nearly skips a beat "A-Are you sure? I mean…"

"Our minds are both clear and calm now," Robbie softly, shortly kisses the nervous elf again, his mild smile soothing "…No matter what we might do now…I'm sure I won't feel sorry afterwards… What about you?…"

The hero looks straight into his eyes for a few more seconds.

Then, instead of a verbal answer, he carefully starts kissing the others neck like he did earlier already.

But this time the felf tilts his head at once, baring more of his throat for his friend to kiss.

He may sounded and seemed calm before, but he doesn't know where that came from.

Inside, he feels incredibly nervous and all shaky, and that already since the elf kissed his fingers…

And with each kiss planted on his throat now, this facade of calmness crumbles more, and soon a low whimpering sounds escapes his slightly parted lips.

At once, Sportacus stops again and searches his gaze, his own reflecting mild concern but also a hint of an assumption "…Are you all right?…"

"Y-Yes," Robbie takes a heavy breath in and smiles shyly "…As long as you don't stop again…" A soft chuckle "Don't worry. Won't do."

Then the lips are back, picking up their work.

Now with newfound courage.

They wander lower, caressing as much of the villain's exposed skin as they can reach, including his clavicle and where his neck connects with his shoulder. Meanwhile the hero's hands are roaming the felf's back, making sure to massage the tense spots again where he's also quite sensitive as it appears. Robbie soon is whimpering and panting lowly without interruption and one of his hands is placed in the hero's neck, following each of its movements while the other is clinging to his shirt once more.

The moment, Sportacus carefully adds teeth to his lips, intensifying the kisses with gentle nibbling, Robbie starts moaning.

Lowly…

Softly…

Shyly.

To Sportacus' ears, this is far more than a simple expression of pleasure. He can hear the uncertainty, the fear…the vulnerability in it. Every single sound is like a glimpse into the felf's soul, if you listen carefully enough…

With the next gentle but highly stimulating bite, Robbie's hand subconsciously slides from Sportacus' neck upwards to pull the hero's hat off, which lands somewhere between the sheets, and carefully runs it through the blonde, wild hair, until it brushes the tip of one of the pointy elf ears.

Sportacus gasps out against the felf's heated skin and accidentally bites a little harder now. But according to Robbie's next moan he didn't hurt the other. More on the contrary. Though he enjoins himself to be more careful again, and picks up his kissing and nibbling.

Robbie however registered the pleased reaction of the hero's body and curiously, without interrupting his own moaning, starts caressing his friend's ears with high care. Soon enough, Sportacus can't contain his low whimpering anymore as well, but he still doesn't quit his caressing actions.

"…Is this…good?… I'm not hurting you, am I?…" pants Robbie in a low whisper between two moans.

"N-No… Heaven, no!…" replies Sportacus, breathing just as heavy, and looks up and into the felf's beautiful grey eyes "…It… It feels amazing…"

The only thing that _does_ hurt a little is the growing tightness in his pants… But he's destined to ignore it for now and asks carefully "…May I…take off your shirt?…"

Robbie nods quickly. He feels hot and the need to let the air cool him down a bit again has been pressing for several minutes already.

"…Yours too…" his smile still is shy and a little uncertain when they both sit up now. Sportacus notices that. And although he'd love to tell Robbie again and again that there's no reason for him to feel this insecure, he can't help the impression that this shy smile is one of the most beautiful sights in the whole world…

Very carefully he frees the felf of his pajama top and his eyes instinctively start roaming his chest again, although he's seen it multiple times already by now.

After several seconds Robbie starts to feel uneasy and tries to cover his stomach with his arms. "Don't," gently, Sportacus rests one of his own hands on the lightly shaking arms of the villain, and with his free hand he gently pushes his chin up so he can look into the felf's grey eyes again "There's no need to hide, Robbie. I already told you. You are beautiful. Every inch of you. Please…don't feel insecure about yourself anymore. To me, you're the most handsome man I've ever seen as well."

Robbie smiles weakly and relaxes a little again, then he hesitatingly starts to put off the hero's shirt as well. For some reason he can't help a low whimper when the impressive muscles are revealed again. Shaking, he runs his fingers over the elf's chest. First, he hears the sharp inhale of breath, and then a low moan "God, Robbie…"

Seconds later they're kissing again.

Braver this time.

Breathing gets hard.

Thinking gets almost impossible.

"…Robbie…" pants Sportacus after finally pulling back again. The blue in his eyes is almost completely replaced by black now, his hands cupping the villain's flushed cheeks. The felf whimpers lowly at the sudden end of the kiss, but his breathing is going heavy as well. His hands are holding on to the hero's shoulders "…Sportacus…" he forces himself to focus for a moment and swallows hard "…Sportacus… I've never…" he blushes furiously "…done this before…"

"…Me neither…" a very weak smile plays on the hero's lips, and he lovingly strokes the felf's cheeks "…Until now…everything I did was…following my instincts… But… We don't have to go any further. I don't…want to hurt or…scare you…"

Robbie looks at him for a moment in silence. Then his eyes travel lower, over the hero's chest and stomach…and finally come to rest on the visible bulge in his pants…

"…I trust you…" he carefully reaches out to ghostly stroke with two fingers over the bump. Sportacus gasps out in surprise and stiffens. Robbie watches a slight movement underneath the cloth and looks up into the elf's eyes again "…And until now your instinct led you very well… I don't think you're going to hurt me…"

Another light touch.

This time the hero can't hold back a moan and his body reflexively shifts closer to the hand.

Though he tries to stay focused "…A-Are you really sure? You know that you don't…have to prove anything to me! I mean…"

He gets shut up by Robbie's lips pressing on his own, and his hand cupping him through the thin layer of clothes this time. He moans into the kiss and presses as close to the hand as possible.

When the felf pulls back again, his hand remaining between Sportacus' legs, the hero is panting hard "…Robbie… I'm…serious… I don't want you to feel…"

"Shut up, Blue Elf," interrupts the villain softly and smiles lovingly at the hero who's in obvious distress now "…I… I want this. Just as much as you. I trust you. I love you. And I…want to be yours… Forever. In every way…" he leans in closer again so he can brush his nose against the hero's "…Please…"

Sportacus takes a deep breath in "…Promise me…" he closely suppresses another moan when the felf moves his fingers a little "…to tell me immediately if you start…to feel uncomfortable in any way…"

Robbie nods "Promised."

"…Okay… And you are sure that…you want me to… I mean… That I should be the one who…" Another nod "Yes. You clearly know more what to do than I do."

"How can you say that? I don't know _anything_!"

"But your _body_ obviously does pretty well. Besides…" the felf blushes even more and his voice lowers "…That's not the only reason… You know how clumsy I can be… The chances that I hurt you are much higher than the other way round…"

"That shouldn't be your main reason, Robbie. If…"

"Oh, for God's sake! Just make me yours! Please!" Robbie quickly covers his mouth, his eyes wide.

That's what he was _thinking_.

But he didn't intend to say it out _loud_!…

Sportacus chuckles softly and gently nuzzles their noses together again, whispering "All right. If you insist. But remember what you promised."

"Y-Yes… Uhm… Sorry, I…don't know what…"

"It's okay," the hero can't help a small smirk, although he's still almost painfully aroused, and gently strokes the felf's cheek "That's probably because of the hormones…"

Robbie gives him a look and nudges him playfully "Hey, I'm a felf, not a girl!"

"Of course you are. But though your hormones can influence you. Especially in this situation now. Mine do, too. You know, they…"

"Okay, okay! Enough with the health education, Sporty!" laughs the felf and lets himself fall back into the pillows, shaking his head, but then his expression turns thoughtful and a little uneasy "…I really want this, but…I'm nervous, though…"

"I am, too. It's perfectly okay to be I guess…" Sportacus crawls after him until his face is hovering over the felf's, his legs and arms on either side of the villain, and looks him deep into the eyes, his voice soft "Robbie, I love you more than I can express with words. And the last thing I want is to hurt you in any way. But…if you're really sure about this…then I promise you to do everything that you get as much pleasure out of this as anyhow possible. And I'll try to…show you my love with more than just words…"

Robbie nearly whimpers at his mere promise, but he composes himself, gently wraps his arms around the hero's neck, returns the intense gaze and whispers with lightly shaking but determined voice "I'm all yours, Sportacus."

 

 

 

 

 

** Sensations!? **

 

His heart is beating up to his chest and his breathing goes fast and heavy.

It has become impossible for him to suppress his moan each time the lips and teeth of the other meet his own, heated skin.

His feeling for time is nothing but a faint memory.

Everything is about the sensation of being touched and caressed like this.

Little sparks of pleasure rush through his entire body, and his nerves even react on every hot breath that brushes him.

His pajamas feel far too tight right now to be comfortable and his moans mix with low whimpers of pleasure.

"…Shush…" Sportacus smiles against the felf's navel and he places a track of small kisses up to the villain's right nipple, murmuring in between "…Don't forget to breathe, Robbie… Deep breaths…" he experimentally takes one of Robbie's hardened teats between his lips and softly caresses it with the tip of his tongue, not thinking about it, but blindly following his instincts.

" **Ah!** " Robbie escapes another loud moan and his body arches up. He's panting hard now.

"Sp-Sportacus. Please… You- **Ah!** " his fingers dig into the sheets beneath him when the hero repeats this action.

"Sh…" the elf changes sides and starts taking care of the other nipple as well.

Robbie whimpers "P-Please, Sportacus! Please…"

The hero looks up and into Robbie's with lust widened eyes. His own expression is soft, although his pants appear to suffocate him. But he's destined to do this completely in Robbie's pace.

It's the only way he can be sure that he won't accidentally hurt or scare him during this new experience.

"Yes, Robbie? What is it?"

"…P-Pants…" the felf wouldn't have thought that he'd already feel so blown and shaky by now that talking becomes difficult "…P-Please… C-Can we…take off our…pants?…" he blushes. Sportacus can't help a light smile and sits up on his legs, studying the villain.

The felf simply looks beautiful like this.

Lying on his bed in the pillows, his hands tightly gripping the sheets, his eyes black instead of grey now, his chest heaving and sinking with each pant, his whole body trembling with excitement and euphoria, his aroused nipples not the only sign for immense pleasure…

And yet he's blushing while asking for more.

He's still incredibly cute, even now…

"…Are you sure?…" his voice is calm and soft, hiding his own need to take this further as fast as possible.

"Yes!" Robbie nods quickly, still panting hard "Please!"

"All right…" Sportacus smilingly leans forward to kiss him passionately again, his hand gently stroking the villain's chest, causing the other to moan softly into the kiss. Then he straightens up again and his hands slowly slide down the felf's body until they reach the waistband of his pajamas.

Without taking his eyes off of Robbie's, he very carefully pulls the trousers down, stripping the felf down to his boxers. His own breathing is slow and deep and his eyes roam the trembling body in front of him intensely until they finally move to his lower parts. He can't help a sharp inhale at the sight of the strained pants which are not able to cover the felf's erection anymore. It's pressing against the cloth in all its length…

"…Beautiful…"

Robbie whimpers "D-Do you… _have_ to say that?…"

The hero chuckles "Yes. Why? Don't you…like it when I say that?…" he easily strips down to his boxers as well, throwing them at the pile of clothes that has already gathered next to the bed.

"I _do_! Just…" Robbie licks his lips and swallows hard "…Are you really…serious?…"

"Yes," Sportacus smiles softly. He isn't annoyed that the other still doubts this. He's ready to assure him without interruption, twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, if necessary.

One day, he'll believe and understand that he's handsome in more ways than one.

And that the elf feels nothing but love for him.

But for now…

Sportacus grabs one of the thicker pillows and easily, but carefully slides it underneath Robbie's lower back. Answering on the felf's questioning gaze, he smiles "I could explain some anatomical facts to you why this will turn out more comfortable and relaxing for you like this, but… Maybe later. Right now…I'm simply going to show you that it is… Okay?" his hands gently stroke the villain's hips. Robbie nods quickly. Sportacus tilts his head "…Robbie… Talk to me, please. Are you really sure about this?"

"Y-Yes."

"You don't feel uncomfortable? We really don't have to…"

"I'm…fine… I'm just…nervous…" the felf lowers his eyes and his voice breaks a little "…I'm sorry… I'm such a…"

"Hey," the hero cuts him off by quickly bowing down and placing a gentle kiss on his stomach, looking up and into the other's eyes during this "You're perfect. At least for me. And I'm just as nervous as you, if not more… But if you really still want this, we'll take this as far as you like. And remember, just tell me immediately if I should stop. I swear I won't be upset! All right?"

"…All right…" Robbie manages a small smile "Thank you, Sportacus."

The elf shakes his head with a soft smile. Then his voice lowers and takes a calm, but almost seducing tone, surprising both of them a little "And now…relax…" he starts kissing his way down to the waistband of the villain's boxers, without interrupting their eye contact. Extracting soft, low moans from the other again during this.

There he stops for a moment, giving Robbie some time to calm down a bit again and take some steadier breaths.

Then he presses his lips on the visible bulge.

"Ha!" Robbie's hip bucks up, his whole body stiffens and his grip on the sheets tightens. He feels like closing his eyes at the completely new, overwhelming sensation, but the hero's gaze is too mesmerizing for that.

"Shush…" Sportacus starts rubbing soothing circles in the felf's hip and gently repeats this action several times, sensing the twitch of his target underneath the cloth.

Soon there's a small wet spot soaking the pants and Robbie has raised one hand to his mouth to bite his knuckles and muffle his yelps and whines of need and surprise.

After several minutes, Sportacus straightens up again and reaches out to gently pull the quivering felf's hand away from his mouth, his voice soft "Don't. You're hurting yourself. Besides…how shall I know that I'm doing it right when I can't hear you?"

Robbie's answer is another low whimper. The hero smiles and leans in close to kiss him gently. The villain returns the kiss hungrily, but still shaking.

His whine, when the hero pulls back again is heartbreaking, but his eyes are clear and expecting, and he nods.

Answering on the unspoken question whether he's ready.

Sportacus gently, soothingly nuzzles their noses together, then he focuses on Robbie's nether regions again.

With steady hands he removes the last bit of clothes from the felf, leaving him bare and absolutely mesmerizing.

They both gasp lowly in union when Robbie's already leaking, with arousal stiff member finally springs free.

Sportacus can feel himself twitch in his own boxers at this sight, but leaves them on nevertheless, forcing his entire concentration on Robbie for the moment.

The felf is absolutely hairless down here, as well.

Sportacus assumes that this is caused by the elvish part of him. And although he got no comparison, his instincts tell him that Robbie got some private parts to be proud of.

"…I…may repeat myself… But you're absolutely gorgeous…" whispers the hero softly, tearing his eyes away from the new sight, to meet the villain's gaze again.

Another sight worth to be captured on film.

Robbie's cheeks are flushed red, his black, wild hair is falling into his eyes, his pupils are completely dilated and his lips are slightly parted, making the panting easier.

"… _everywhere_ …"

Robbie whimpers at this praise, but finds no words to express his confused, highly aroused but especially emotional thoughts.

He doesn't have to.

His eyes tell Sportacus everything he has to know…

The hero rearranges his position a little so he's sitting cross-legged now.

Then he bows down, takes a deep, steadying breath in and kisses the tip of the precum dripping cock.

" ** _Ah!_** " Robbie's entire body jerks and arches up and his fingers dig even deeper into the sheets. His eyes look unbelieving and his panting grows louder.

He's never felt like this before.

His mind is completely blown and he can't think straight anymore.

The kiss just felt like…an electric jolt, washing through his entire body.

But a highly pleasurable one…

Sportacus gives him some minutes to recover a little and watches him the whole time precisely, taking in his features and every little movement of his body.

Then he gently places one of his hands on the felf's belly, stroking it soothingly.

That helps.

Robbie's breathing slows down a little and he starts to smile weakly, signaling that he's all right. Sportacus returns the smile.

They got all the time in the world.

And he wants his partner to feel good, not so overwhelmed that he doesn't know what is happening anymore.

Then he does it again.

" **Sportacus!** " Robbie gasps out and both of his hands reflexively grab the one rested on his stomach.

The hero pauses again.

This time he studies the felf's slightly twitching member right in front of his face. He can taste him on his lips already, thanks to the precum.

It's lightly salty, but not unpleasant so.

And it…clearly tastes of Robbie to him…

This time, the break is shorter.

And the next kiss targets at the base of the growing erection.

Robbie whimpers lowly and he squeezes the elf's hand tightly. His eyes have fallen shut by now and his breathing comes in strong, steady pants. Sportacus is pleased about that. This way of breathing is much better than before.

He picks up his ministrations, giving Robbie less and less time to recover in between.

The kisses soon turn into gentle licks and Robbie's crying and moaning intensifies.

Neither of them knows how much time has passed until the felf suddenly manages to utter a single word that is more of a plea " **More!** "

Sportacus stops in his move to lick the throbbing cock from base to its head, looks up and meets Robbie's clear, begging eyes.

Then he proceeds with his licking.

But instead of pulling back again, like before when he's reached the top, he suddenly takes the tip of the member into his mouth.

A cry, simultaneously with a buck of the felf's hips and more of the cock sliding up and into his mouth.

Sportacus was expecting this and stays still, offering his friend a break once more, watching his every reaction during this again.

Robbie is shaking violently. His hands are squeezing the hero's in a vice like grip with unexpected strength and he had sat up after the last jerk. His eyes are begging for more still and his whimpering won't cease entirely this time.

Then the hero starts using his tongue.

Robbie falls back into the pillows with a light scream.

His body is twitching a little on its own, trying to get more friction and feel more of this hot, wet sensation, enclosing his erection. Everything seems to be too much and yet far from enough…

" **Sportacus! _Ah!_** P- _Please_!" he doesn't really know what he's begging for.

But luckily, his hero appears to know.

He slows down with his sucking and the tongue message until he finally stops completely, extracting a tortured moan from the felf.

Sportacus places a last, gentle kiss on the still heavily leaking slit, then he straightens up again. His voice is soft and remarkably calm, despite his own, visibly growing erection in his boxers "…Robbie… Look at me…"

Another low whimper, then the villain forces his eyes open again, his voice sounds weak and strained "…That felt…good…"

"Hm," Sportacus nods and rests his second hand on both of Robbie which are still holding on to his other one "…Would you like more? Or…"

"More!" Robbie nods quickly "I… I want…" he opens and closes his mouth several times, completely clueless.

The hero nods again, understanding "Shush. It's all right. Relax. Lean back."

The felf follows the command at once without even thinking about it.

But he lets go of the hero's hand only very reluctantly when he pulls them back.

Then he fixes his eyes on the ceiling, trying to calm down a bit and focus on his breathing while there's a light shifting on the bed.

A pause, during which the only thing he can sense and hear are his quick and heavy breathing and heartbeat.

"…Spread your legs…" warm hands come to rest on his inner tights and support the order by gently pushing them apart.

Robbie breathes in, following this command as well with steadily growing excitement.

And then he senses something new.

Something wet.

Something wet…slowly moving down from the base of his cock…to his anus…

 

 

 

 

   

** Thunder!? **

 

Robbie's grip on the sheets tightens.

He's panting hard and shaking.

His eyes are still fixed on the ceiling.

His mind is completely blown.

He doesn't know what to think or feel.

All he's aware of is Sportacus' moist tongue, slowly licking all the way from his throbbing member to his hole and back. Without interruptions or breaks this time, but with his hands gently massaging the felf's hips.

After several times Robbie can feel the wet muscle stop and remain near his anus.

Sportacus' hands slowly slide from his hip to his butt cheeks, stroking and kneading them tenderly, before carefully spreading them a little further, revealing the villain's already lightly twitching hole more.

"…You look so beautiful…even down here…" murmurs the hero huskily and buries his face further between the spread cheeks.

He's all instinct now.

Not even completely aware of the following steps himself.

But until now everything he did felt good. For the both of them.

Robbie is holding his breath meanwhile.

But the moment the wet sensation focuses on his sphincter, applying gentle pressure on the quivering muscle, this held in air escapes in a loud whine.

Without changing his current position in any way, Sportacus asks lowly "…How did that feel?…"

"G-Good… Great!" Robbie can't help but stutter a bit "P-Please… D-Don't stop… **Oh!** "

His body arches up when the hero does it again.

But this time, the tongue doesn't pull back again this quickly. Instead it starts massaging the small pucker, increasing the pressure then and now until the felf's body is twitching so bad, Sportacus has to move his hands to keep at least his hips steady again.

"Shush…" he hums against the villain's backside, sending vibrations through the aroused body at his mercy "Breathe, Robbie."

The villain whimpers and twitches but tries to follow the advice to calm down a little again. Sportacus waits him out.

Once he got the feeling that the other is able to answer questions again, he carefully starts blowing against the quivering hole and murmurs "Are you ready to move on?"

"Yes! God, yes! Please!" begs the felf shamelessly by now.

He can't help it.

Never, in his entire life has he felt such a sensation.

It's consuming.

It's arousing.

It's still gentle and loving.

And most of all it's _Sportacus_ doing this!

"Okay… Remember, if it gets too much or too fast…"

"Yes, yes! I'll tell you to stop! But now, please _start_! I'm already… _Oh…_ **_Ah!_** " Robbie's body arches up and his eyes widen even more.

The wet tongue is…pushing against his quivering hole more and more and his pleasured mind registered that it will soon…

" ** _Sportacus!_** " he sits up with a jerk, his mouth open wide, his arms supporting his trembling body. The sight of the hero, buried between his legs extracts an extra moan from him.

The hero doesn't let himself get distracted.

He keeps pressing his tongue further into the anus, moaning softly as well.

Once it's as far inside as it will go for now without becoming uncomfortable for the felf, he keeps still for a moment, letting the other catch his breath again.

Then he starts licking and wiggling his wet muscle around inside.

Robbie throws his head back "D-Dear… ** _God_**!" his member is twitching, leaking more and more precum and, as it feels, becomes even harder if anyhow possible " ** _Sportacus!_** "

The hero slowly pulls his tongue back.

At once Robbie starts whimpering and tries to slide after it, but his lover's warm, strong hands keep him in place.

"…Hush…" the elf plants a loving, gentle kiss on the quivering hole.

With a light scream, Robbie falls back into the pillows, his hands scratching over the sheets, searching for anything more supportive to hold on to.

" **M-More!** **_Ah!_** " he cries and tries to buck up again at the next kiss, his breathing coming in short gasps now " **Sportacus, _please_!** D-Don't stop!"

"Sh… I won't," promises the hero lowly, rubbing soothing circles in the villain's hips while gently blowing against the anus again "…But you need to breathe… I really don't want you to faint because of dyspnea…"

The felf nearly laughs out at this.

Only Sportacus would worry so much about his partner's health during something like this, he's sure.

But he doesn't laugh.

Instead, he shaking reaches out with one hand to lovingly run it through the blond elf hair, his voice strained and low "…Kiss me… Please…"

The hero doesn't have to be asked twice.

Within a blink, he's crawled on top of his friend and gently presses their lips together. One of his hands supporting his own body, so he won't crush the felf underneath him, the other gently roaming the felf's still shaking, hot torso.

Robbie returns the kiss eagerly and when the hero parts his lips a little, he reflexively does the same and when their tongues meet for the first time, he can taste himself in the elf's mouth and on his lips and moans lowly, his hands hopelessly groping for hold on his lover's back. His own breathing slowly becomes steadier again, thanks to the hero's, with which it soon reflexively falls in rhythm.

Once the elf is satisfied with the way Robbie is breathing again, he raises his hand and carefully slips a finger between their opened lips.

The felf opens his eyes in confusion, but when they meet the calming gaze of the hero, he relaxes again and simply lets the finger move around, first inside his, then the hero's mouth.

His mind is so blown with pleasure and joy already that he doesn't really understand why Sportacus gets his finger this wet and slick.

Only when he pulls it out again and slowly moves it to come to rest between the felf's butt cheeks where his face has been just a few minutes ago, realization hits Robbie and he answers on the hero's questioning gaze with an excited, hasty nod. Sportacus smiles lovingly.

Then he gently grazes the tip of his finger against the, with spit already quite wet, quivering hole.

Robbie gasps out.

This feels different again, but just as pleasurable.

The hero's eyes never move from the felf's gaze to make sure the small noises he makes are still hinting on nothing but pure pleasure.

Then he carefully starts probing at Robbie's back entrance.

The villain moans loudly and digs his nails into the elf's back, not realizing that he leaves small scratches on it like this.

But neither does the hero.

He's far too focused on his partner "…Are you ready?…"

" **Yes!** " Robbie can't help that his voice is more of a light scream…but then his mouth hangs open in overwhelmed silence. Sportacus' fingertip is pushing in.

Slowly.

Carefully.

Passing the first ring of muscles…and stops.

"N-No! Why…did you stop??" Robbie clings to the hero in pure desperation "Please! I… I need more! I…"

"Shush. I know. But you're too tense. Breathe. Relax. I don't want to hurt you."

"This… I… Just **_do it_**! **Please!** I can't relax right now! This is… It's too much and not enough at the same time! I…" a lonely tear runs down the felf's cheek.

He doesn't know how to handle this situation…

"Robbie…" Sportacus smiles softly and kisses the tear away, starting a series of several light, soothing kisses on his cheek and jaw "Don't cry, please. This is completely new for you. Of course you're excited and a little tense. I am, too. And I'm incredibly happy that you feel so good and want to continue. But we have time. If we rush this too much, it might get uncomfortable…"

"I don't care!" Robbie doesn't know when he's become this greedy for the new sensation, but he can't be bothered to think about this now.

"But I do. If there's any way to do this without hurting you, I won't ignore it… You trust me, don't you?"

A weak nod.

"Good. Then please, believe me that we'll get there. Slowly. But pain free and without hurting you. You just need a moment to adjust to everything new that is inserted inside you. Trust me."

Robbie swallows hard but manages a wry smile "…A-Anatomic facts…again?…"

"Exactly," the hero returns the smile and kisses him sweetly again. At the same time he carefully continues to slide his finger past the inner ring of muscles.

" **Ha!** " Robbie winces.

Sportacus stops at once, searching the felf's gaze, his own reflecting his concern "Did that hurt?"

"N-No… It…just…" the villain bites his lower lip "…This is…actually happening… And it…feels better than I ever… I mean…" he blushes. Relieved, the hero kisses him again "You're doing very well. Just remember to breathe…"

He starts moving his finger around a little, feeling the smooth insides of his partner's anus.

Soon, Robbie is reduced to a whimpering, moaning mess, but he though remembers to breathe more or less steadily, and therefore he relaxes quickly around the finger.

The hero senses this and tries to pull back a little again.

With a pitiful cry from the villain, the sphincter contracts in a reflexive attempt to keep the elf's finger in place.

Sportacus can't help a smirk "I'm impressed. This is clearly something, you _do_ have control over!…"

Robbie moans and blushes even more, forcing himself to relax again. Now the hero gently starts sliding in and out of him a bit, extracting more soft cries from the other.

Then he curves his finger up.

" ** _Ah!_** " Robbie's body arches up with a loud cry and his fingers dig hard into the skin of his lover " ** _Sportacus!_** "

With a smirk, the elf removes the pressure from that specific spot inside his partner and just smiles down on him, using his thumb to soothingly massage the felf's perineum.

"…What…" Robbie takes a deep breath in, he feels all shaky "…What was…that?… What did you…do?…"

"Did it feel good?"

"Amazing!" another inhale and the villain starts to smile almost dreamingly "Can you…do it again?…"

"Sure," Sportacus chuckles softly and explains "I just found your prostate as it seems. I actually was just curious, whether I could feel it from this angle… But it…appears to have a good effect on you…"

"Oh, cut the biological lesson short, please! Just touch it again!" begs the felf and pulls the hero down for a deep kiss.

One that muffles his next cry of pleasure when his lover follows his wish.

What follows is a very gentle massage of Robbie's prostate which is leaving him shaking and crying and begging for more and spilling actual tears of joy.

" **Thank you!** " he mutters again and again between his screams and kisses, and he scratches along the hero's back at the same time. He's so far gone, he doesn't really notice when Sportacus carefully inserts a second finger and starts to stretch the quivering hole very gently. His moaning just grows louder with the added penetration.

And then, when he can't take it anymore and streams of tears fall from his eyes, he cries out " ** _Sportacus! Please! T-Take me!_** "

The elf, due to the incredible sight underneath him painfully hard himself, can't suppress a loud moan any longer and pulls his, meanwhile added up to three fingers out. Robbie cries out at the loss, but even in his with pleasure dazzled state he registers that what comes next will be even better. So he forces himself to open his eyes and look at his lover.

Sportacus is panting hard, his hair is even wilder than usual and the tips of his pointy ears are of a bright shade of red.

Beautiful.

No other word could describe him right now.

They stare at each other for a moment, then Sportacus sits up and gently strokes the felf's chest with one hand and the inside of his thighs with his other that has just partly been inside the felf. Robbie moans at this knowledge.

"…We need something slicker to smooth the way…" murmurs Sportacus suddenly absently and suddenly jumps up and out of the bed "Don't move."

"I…couldn't, even if I wanted to, Sporty…" the felf smiles and follows the hero with his eyes "…I'm shaking too much…"

"Oh…" the hero chuckles and keeps rummaging through one of his closets. Then he quickly returns to the bed, sits down between Robbie's still wide spread legs and holds up a small bottle, grinning broadly "This is a water based gel for supporting the healing process of oral injuries one may get by biting his tongue or accidentally chewing on a bone or…" when he notices Robbie's look, he smirks and quickly cuts his explanation short "It's safe. And _slick_. It should…be of good use…"

Robbie nods understanding and shaking sits up now "You still manage to surprise me. So… Time to get rid of your boxers, hm?" he gently cups the hero's bulge through the cloth again. Sportacus inhales sharply and starts to shake a little as well.

"…Wow…" the felf swallows "…You…uhm…grew…even more… That's…impressive…"

The elf notices the strange tone in his friend's voice and gently takes both of his hands in his own "…Robbie… We don't have to…"

"No! No, I… I want this!" the felf takes a deep breath and nods "I want _you_. And I trust you!" he kisses his lover once more, then he leans back into the pillows again. Calm.

Sportacus nods as well and strips completely, being watched by his partner during this, who's absently licking his lips.

When the elf's cock finally springs free, they both gasp lowly.

Robbie in surprise, Sportacus in relief.

The hero is _huge_.

At least in Robbie's eyes.

And he knows that three fingers for preparation weren't even quite enough.

But…

"I need you. Now."

"Robbie, are you sure…"

"I swear, Sportacus, if I don't get this inside me now, I'm going to suffer a heart attack!" he doesn't feel like he's exaggerating. His heart really is beating quicker and more violent than before. Sportacus' instincts have led them here. But only now, Robbie becomes aware of his own.

And they tell… _order_ him to take this impressive erection in his ass, as deep as it will go.

He blushes.

Sportacus has watched him intensely while slowly stroking himself, and he realizes that Robbie is serious. Not necessary about the part with the heart attack, but with how bad he wants and needs this now…

And Sportacus does, too.

He opens the bottle and squeezes a great amount of the gel into his hand.

"Hm!" his eyes flutter shut when he finally gives his cock the attention it craved for so long already, by slicking it up. Thereby he can't suppress a low sigh "…Oh, Robbie…"

The answer comes in the form of a muffled moan, and when he forces his eyes open again, he gasps out in surprise at the sight of Robbie shyly stroking himself as well, biting the knuckles of his free hand again. His eyes talk volumes. They're practically screaming at the hero 'Take me! I need you!'.

And Sportacus always is there when somebody needs him.

He gently lifts Robbie's legs onto his shoulders, taking him by surprise, before explaining "The angle will be better this way…"

"…Okay…" Robbie's hand that is stroking his own member is shaking, but his eyes are begging his lover to go on.

"Remember, we can stop at any time. Nothing will happen without your permission," Sportacus smiles softly and reaches out to shortly, lovingly fondle the felf's erection as well.

That happens to have a far more intense effect on him than Robbie's own hand does.

He bucks up with a low cry and begs " **Do it! Do it _now_!** "

And Sportacus does.

He takes himself in hand and guides his slick, throbbing cock to gently press against the felf's sphincter "…Breathe…"

Robbie starts moaning.

The feeling of this huge member slowly, very slowly pushing its way past his ring muscle and inside him is…

" ** _Ah!_** " he winces and squeezes his eyes shut.

Sportacus stops his drive in at once, studying the shaking felf in pure concern "Are you all right??"

"…Yes…" Robbie swallows hard and forces his eyes open again "…It just burned a little…"

"Shall I rather pull out?" the hero feels incredibly guilty. He should've been more careful! He…

"No. Just…give me a minute… It's okay again, already…" the felf smiles weakly and reaches out to gently caress the hero's chest.

"…Okay… Maybe…try to push out a little?…" Sportacus feels the urge to help his friend somehow, but he can't do much but wait him out right now… Robbie nods barely noticeable and follows the advice as soon as he gives his lover the okay to go on with a light nod.

"Hm…" he moans softly and when the hero stops again, out of fear to hurt him, he quickly encourages him "No, no! Keep going! It's… **Oh!** " his eyes grow even wider when he feels himself getting stretched more and more "Yes! Oh, God! P-Please…don't stop! M-More!… Give me… **_Ha!_** "

Sportacus bottoms out.

They look into each other's eyes.

Both panting hard.

"…That…went better than expected…" Sportacus smiles shyly and reaches out to gently stroke the villain's cheek "…And I really didn't hurt you?…"

"No. I'm fine," Robbie returns the smile and rests his own hand on the one of the hero "…I could feel the stretching, but…it didn't hurt. It was…a little bit uncomfortable, if at all… But now it just feels great! You… You're…all the way in?…"

"Yes," a soft chuckle which is cut off by a loud moan when the already consuming tightness around the elf's member becomes even tighter for a moment "R-Robbie…"

"Sorry," the felf blushes and bites his lower lip "…I just…tried whether I can still control…it…"

"You can," the elf laughs lowly, before lovingly running his thumb over the villain's lips "And don't apologize. It felt incredible. It was just…surprising…"

Robbie moans lowly and lightly bucks up " ** _Ah!_** "

"Careful. Not too fast."

"Okay… You better take the lead again," Robbie smirks and blushes "…I guess I'm…a little too impatient for my own good…"

"Aren't you always?" Sportacus smiles lovingly, then he gets a careful grip on the felf's hip, looks him deep in the eyes and whispers softly "Breathe…" and very gently pulls out. Robbie moans and grabs the sheets again. He can feel the movement deep inside of him and his own cock starts spilling more precum again.

"…So…good…" the whimper is low and soft. And for Sportacus' ears pure music. His cock is almost all the way out now and he takes a deep breath in "I love you," then he pushes back in. " ** _Ah!_** " Robbie throws his head back into the pillows " **Sportacus! _Ah-_ Again!**"

" ** _Oh!_** **Robbie!** " Sportacus' mind starts to cloud with white pleasure and he follows the beg blindly.

Pulling out and pushing back in again faster and faster with each time.

Soon his thrusts have found a rhythm.

And they're both moaning loudly in growing ecstasy.

" ** _Sportacus!_** **H-Harder, please!** **_Ah!_** "

" **Robbie…** " pants the hero laboriously and picks up the pace, changing the angle just a tiny bit during this.

But with a huge effect.

" ** _Ah!! Yes!! Oh God!!!_** **R-Right there, Sportacus!** " Robbie's moans turn into screams with each thrust. The hero needs a second to realize what is happening, but then he understands that he's hitting Robbie's prostate with every single thrust now.

This turns him on even more and he instinctively goes on with more passion.

The whole airship is filled with the noises of their lovemaking.

Their moans and screams and the slapping of skin against skin…

"…Sportacus… **_Sportacus!_** I-I… I feel as if…"

"It's okay, Robbie. L-Let go," Sportacus cries out when he feels Robbie's muscles tighten around him again " **D-Don't hold back! C-Come! _Come for me!_** **_Ah!!!_** "

" ** _Sportacus!_** " Robbie is panting hard. He opens his mouth to tell his lover so many things, how great he feels, how thankful… But all he gets out is the most important part " ** _I love you!!!_** "

Then his body arches up.

White, hot pleasure shoots into his groin and he screams, cumming all over his stomach in long, white spurts.

" ** _Robbie!!!_** " this sight triggers Sportacus' own orgasm and he bottoms out, stills his movement and spills himself hot and deep inside the felf.

The villain cries out again when he feels himself getting filled, his own cock still twitching and dripping some more of the white substance.

Sportacus is panting hard and quickly places both of his hand on either side of the villain to support his own trembling body "…That… That was…"

"Y-Yeah… It…was… _Ha!_ " Robbie whimpers lowly when the hero slowly pulls out of him.

Both men highly overstimulated.

"Shush…" the hero soothingly kisses his friend's chest and notices the tremor not retreating from his body "…Hey… Robbie… Are you all right?…"

A very weak nod "…Yes…just…tired…"

"I know…" the elf smiles softly and mobilizes the last bit of his strength to carefully sit up, gently lowering the villain's legs on the bed again. Robbie doesn't even react or move. He stays like this, spread on the bed, trembling and…with a still lightly twitching, cum leaking hole.

At this sight, Sportacus' instincts take over once more.

He bows down and gently starts lapping at the quivering muscle which is pushing out his own sperm.

"Sportacus…" whines the felf lowly and bucks up, although he's still completely groggy from his orgasm "It's… It's too much… Please…"

"Sh…" the hero doesn't pull back, but proceeds licking up his own cum, knowing that Robbie still feels overwhelmed by pleasure but enjoys the aftercare, though.

And Sportacus is a very dutiful 'aftercarer'.

Once he has cleaned Robbie's anus, he takes care of his stomach, lapping up the felf's cum as well, causing the lowly crying villain to spill some more white spurts during this.

When he's finished with this as well, the felf is entirely finished off.

His eyes are closed and his breathing comes in shallow gasps.

He still looks beautiful like this.

"Rest. I'll get something to clean us up some more…" he places a loving kiss on the felf's forehead. Robbie mumbles some unrecognizable words, but otherwise doesn't react. His first orgasm simply drained him from all of his energy…

 

Minutes later, Sportacus has cleaned them both up completely with wet, warm, soapy rags and some towels and even changed the bedding, despite Robbie's low protest that he had to move for this.

However, in the end, the felf took the opportunity of standing to put on the new, clean clothes the hero offered him, and to shortly visit the bathroom.

Now they're both lying in the bed under their covers again. Both clean and warm and happy but incredible exhausted, Robbie snuggled up close to the chest of his lover.

"…I didn't hear your computer telling you it's eight o' eight this time…"

"Me neither. We couldn't, I guess. We made…too many other noises…" Sportacus chuckles softly and caresses the felf's back, his voice turning serious again "…That was really amazing… I've never felt like this before…"

"Me neither," Robbie smiles against the elf's neck "I'm so happy we actually did this…"

"Yeah, me…" the hero gets cut off by a bright light and a loud crash outside the ship.

With a shocked whimper, Robbie presses himself even closer against him.

"Shush. It's all right, Robbie. That's only the storm… I knew it was coming back… Roller shutters down!" commands the hero and soothingly rubs the felf's back "It's okay. You don't have to be afraid. We're safe here."

"…I know…" murmurs the villain slightly ashamed, but a little calmer now that it's completely dark in here again. But then there's a second thunder, right over the ship, as it sounds and he whispers lowly "…Sportacus…"

"Yes, Robbie?"

"…Can you…hold me and don't let go again tonight?"

"Of course," Sportacus pulls him as close as possible, murmuring "…Anytime you want me to…"

This promise is everything Robbie needs right now.

With a deep sigh, he closes his eyes, barely registering the next thunder anymore.

He's safe in the hero's arms.

Safe and loved.

And that, adding to his exhaustion, is more than enough to let him drift into a peaceful sleep very soon.

Closely followed by his lover.


	64. Morning!?

Robbie would have never thought that he'd wake up before the hero one day.

But right now he's glad that he did.

Simply because he can enjoy the warmth and closeness of their cuddled up position with full awareness for some time now.

His face is nuzzled against the hero's chest and he can sense his steady heartbeat beneath the thin layer of cloth and the rise and fall of his chest when he breathes. Sportacus has wrapped his arms around the felf since the thunderstorm outside set in and made the villain jump, holding him in a loving, protective manner now, his face pressed into the black, soft hair.

Robbie feels happy.

There isn't much to add to this.

He's relaxed, feels warm and safe and for the first time in his life honestly loved and not alone.

"…Robbie…" sounds a soft mumble after several minutes and the hands gently, lazily start stroking his back "…You're up already?!… Are you well?…"

"I'm splendid, Sportacus," Robbie smiles and lovingly nuzzles his nose against the hero's neck "But…"

"But?" Sportacus' can't hide his concern and his hands reflexively feel for the familiar tense spots on the felf's back. But they find none.

"But…I'm kinda hungry…" the villain chuckles softly.

"Really?! Well, that is the best sign for your recovery!" Sportacus hugs him even tighter in pure happiness "I'll prepare you something great at once! And don't worry, nothing _too_ healthy…yet! Just let me…"

"But!" interrupts Robbie his friend's flow of words and smirks "There's a second 'but'…"

"There…is?…"

Robbie nods.

"…Oh…" Sportacus places a gentle kiss on the tousled hair, waiting for a further explanation. "But…I don't want you to get up just yet," the felf smiles, but blushes a little at the same time, and his hands absently, gently travel over the hero's torso, his voice turning into a low mumble "…I want to…cuddle some more… I know it sounds stupid, but…I feel so good right now… I don't…want to lose this feeling again so soon…"

"It's not stupid," replies the elf softly and returns the gentle caressing "…But you won't lose this feeling when we get up. I'll stay by your side from now on. Forever. You know that…"

"…Yes… I… I know…" Robbie swallows hard "…I'm…sorry… I don't want to appear…clingy… And you surely want to get up and move…"

"No."

"…No?…" Robbie blinks in surprise. Did he just mishear or has the sports elf actually said…

"No. I'd like to cuddle some more, too. And you're not clingy. You know, sports are great. But…some things are even better… One of them is holding you in my arms, knowing that you are safe and feel good. It makes me happy. And…pleasantly calm…" he smiles and plants another loving kiss on the felf's head "I guess that's a regular side effect of finding a partner… I love you, Robbie. And…by the way, good morning."

"Morning," Robbie giggles lowly and blushes "…I love you, too…"

Then they fall silent again.

Holding on to, and simply enjoying the presence of each other.

Breathing in synch.

It's remarkably peaceful in the airship…

Until a low, rumbling sound cuts through this peace.

Robbie blushes.

Sportacus smiles "Finally you're hungry again. The worst should be behind you now… Shall we…get up now?…"

"Hm…" the felf is about to negate when his tummy starts growling even louder "…Well… Would be better I guess…"

"Rice pudding?"

"Yes, please!" Robbie blushes even more, realizing that he probably just sounded like a child. But the hero doesn't laugh at him. He only smiles happily, strokes his back once more and jumps up and out of the bed, quickly bowing down to kiss his boyfriend sweetly on the lips again, promising typically enthusiastic "I'm already on it!" and backflips to his 'kitchen'. Robbie isn't annoyed by this anymore. More on the contrary…

While his friend now starts working on their breakfast, Robbie firstly freshens up a little in the bathroom, then he returns to the main part of the airship and considers just sitting down and wait. But for some reason, this action that has always been part of his laziness, doesn't feel all that tempting anymore at the moment…

So he finally, without thinking much about it, starts tidying up the ship, and especially their bed with the many pillows a little.

Sportacus watches him more or less secretly while preparing the food and smiles happily to himself. The felf moves around the airship with noticeable ease, happiness and relaxation and looks up to smile at Sportacus every few minutes, blushing lightly during this.

As soon as Robbie is done with this task, he just slowly paces the room a little until his gaze falls upon Stephanie's music player and he approaches it, studying it with great interest.

When Sportacus focuses on his work again, he suddenly hears low music starting to play and his smile brightens even more.

But when two arms suddenly wrap around his chest from behind and a chin is rested on his shoulder, he though can't hide his surprise completely "…Robbie?…"

"…Told you I was clingy…" a soft chuckle, but then Robbie's tone changes to a soft plea "…Sportacus… Could we…dance?…"


	65. Dance!?

Sportacus is thunderstruck.

He looks down at Robbie's hands, rested on his stomach and can't help but to ask slightly worried "…You… You're really…absolutely sure that…you're feeling…okay?…"

"Hm," an approving hum "Why do you ask?"

"Well, I… You… You're quite…agile today and…dancing is a rather…uhm…active…activity…" remarks the hero carefully, turns the little stove off he used for cooking the rice pudding, and slowly turns around to face his friend, eying him carefully, gently resting a hand on his forehead to check for a possible return of the fever due to overexertion.

"Depends on the kind of dance," Robbie smirks, letting the elf proceed and puts his arms around the smaller man's neck now "…Besides… I do like dancing. One should just not…overdo it… And…dancing alone makes me…sad…"

Sportacus smiles sadly and uses his hand to lovingly caress the felf's face now instead, finally answering on the villain's question "It would make me incredibly happy to dance with you! …But…even before breakfast? I thought you are hungry?…"

"I am. But _you_ have to do some exercises before you eat anyway, right? It's part of your daily routine. And…if I'm actually going to stay here as your…guest for some more time, I should at least try to get used to it…and participate a little bit… And this could be easier, if we did something we both can do together… At least for me…" he blushes a little "…But I could understand if you didn't want to…"

"You're incredible. Of course I want to! But I really don't want you to feel any pressure!"

"I don't. And now come on! That's my song!"

Sportacus doesn't feel able to, nor does he want to contradict anymore. Instead he falls into a dance pose, gently places one hand on the felf's hip and takes his other hand in his own, looks him deep into the eyes and whispers dreamingly "…I love you, Robbie Rotten…" and starts to lead, moving them through the entire airship in rhythm with the music.

"….I love you, too…" murmurs the felf just as dreamingly and relaxed and easily moves along without breaking their intense, loving eye contact.

He loves Sportacus.

And he's just as ready to do everything for him as the other way round.

Even moving around and eating a little healthier.

Even before breakfast.

Simply because the hero is so much more important for him than anything else.

Including his 'lazyness'…


	66. Careless!?

Sportacus feels blessed.

Robbie _actually_ is _moving_ around _voluntarily_ for him!

And _not_ to work on a scheme that is supposed to run the hero out of town, but to make him _happy_!

They're _dancing_ together!

On _his_ impulse!

And the felf is such a skilled dancer! Although Sportacus is the one to lead, that's obvious to him, because the hero himself hasn't danced like _this_ for _years_ (since he finished hero school to be all precise) and he's still so awestruck, excited and happy that they're doing this, he makes some tiny mistakes. And each time he does, Robbie gently, mutely corrects them immediately.

They make it through several different dances like this, including some with quicker paces, until a very slow, romantic song sets in and they reflexively move even closer together until Robbie can rest his head on the smaller man's shoulder and their chests are pressed together, so they're almost hugging each other and only softly, slowly sway back and forth and from side to side in synch with the music.

It's peaceful.

It's relaxing.

It's simply wonderful.

Robbie smiles softly without interruption and closes his eyes. He knows for sure that this is definitely one of the happiest moments in his entire life. Although he secretly hopes that there will come more like this, now that he and the hero actually are even 'officially' together…

But then something changes.

Just for a split second.

But during this, Robbie is certain he's dying…

"Robbie!" shocked, Sportacus tightens his grip on the felf when he suddenly goes slack in his arms and starts gasping for air the next moment "Robbie, what is wrong?"

"I… I don't…know…" pants the villain and tries to fight back the upcoming nausea while he's leaning on the hero for support "…It just…felt like I couldn't…breathe anymore…"

Sportacus doesn't even ask this time, he just quickly picks the other up bridal style and carries him over to the bed, asking with barely suppressed panic "But now you can?!?"

"…Yes…" the felf tries to calm down again, although still panting hard, and even manages a weak smile when his friend carefully seats him on the bed, leaned against the pile of pillows, Robbie arranged more tidily again just a few minutes ago. Sportacus at once grabs his shirt and quickly but carefully pulls it over his head to study the blue lines on his hands, arms and chest precisely again "Do you think they caused this?"

"…I don't know… Maybe I just…overexerted myself again? You know I'm not…really fit…" murmurs the felf uneasily. He doesn't want his friend to worry so heavily…or even worse start to blame himself again for his accident with the crystal…

"You weren't even slightly panting when we just started to dance slowly," remarks the hero and shakes his head "No, I don't think that's it. We have to find out what has happened to you as soon as possible! I didn't find anything in my old school book, but maybe…"

"Let's have some breakfast first, okay?" interrupts Robbie with a still weak but soft smile and gently takes the elf's hands in his own "I'm even hungrier now. But otherwise, I'm fine again. Please, don't worry too much…"

"Robbie, I don't want to scare you, but this could be really serious! I have absolutely no idea what these blue lines are and after everything that has already happened and that we got to know during the past few days, I don't dare to claim that they are harmless and that my folk wouldn't use dangerous items as well!"

"I know…"

"Then why do you want me to take this easy?! Don't you _care_ what happens to you anymore?!?" Sportacus can't help but to finally burst out with his fear. Robbie has never taken actual care of himself. Even less than the kids do when they play. He even kept climbing up on things, for example the hero's airship, ignoring his fear of heights until it was too late! Not to mention his untreated sleeping and eating troubles…

Robbie averts his eyes "…I care much more about _you_ , that's true… But I…also believe that you're exaggerating this… Until now, I didn't even feel or think about these lines anymore and this strange feeling lasted for not even half a second. I really don't think these two…phenomena are linked in any way…"

"Robbie…" Sportacus feels the need to contradict, to tell him that he sees absolutely no chance that all this is pure coincidence.

But he doesn't.

Instead he just pulls him into a tight embrace and murmurs insistently "Remember, we're a couple now. I'm not only your other half, but you are mine as well. I need you. And I know you mean well by trying to get me not to worry too much. But that's not how this works. Not if you're willingly endangering yourself with it…"

Robbie swallows hard but returns the hug tightly, unable to reply anything on that.

They stay like this for several minutes until the felf has fully recovered and is breathing normally again.

Then Sportacus slowly straightens up and plants a gentle kiss on his friend's cheek, his smile soft "…You're right. Let's eat…"

Robbie nods and watches the hero jump up and get their breakfast. They both sense that it got no use to discuss the subject further now. And Sportacus also calms himself that it's a good sign that the felf finally is hungry again. And another good sign is the fact that he is also able to walk and move around again without collapsing. Except of his sudden breathing troubles of course, but that's another problem… One, which the hero hopes to be able to solve soon! Maybe he can find something about elves and fairies in the old library of the town? Would be rather strange in a way, but not the first time LazyTown surprises even him… It's definitely worth a try. They got nothing to lose, anyway…

Robbie watches his friend the whole time until he finally sits down cross-legged in front of him on the bed again, and the felf can see his friend's mind working feverishly by the way he's furrowing his brows and curling his lips so his moustache wiggles a little.

He looks adorable like this.

But since Robbie knows the reason behind this behavior, he can't even muster a small smile. Instead he takes the offered plate with rice pudding and the spoon with a murmured "…Thanks…" and lowers his eyes. Sportacus feels a little bad for his outburst already and although he really wants the felf to think about his words and maybe realize that he has to take the situation more serious, he doesn't want this to stand between them.

"…Where did you learn to dance like this?" he tries to sound lighthearted "That was absolutely amazing!"

Robbie blushes lightly, but finally starts smiling again and mumbles "…Oh well… Sometimes, the TV is a good teacher as well… Especially if you're bored…"

"You mean, you learned all that simply by watching?!"

"…And trying… Yeah…" the villain looks up again now, his eyes sparkling with hesitant pride "…Was it really…that good?…"

"Are you kidding?! You're a better dancer than I am!" Sportacus gives him a bright smile "I haven't danced like this in years and I forgot quite a bit, but thanks to you, I refreshed my memory again. That was absolutely impressive! Stephanie would love to see that! Maybe…you could teach her some of these standard dances? She's more of a…freestyler and a solo dancer…until now… But I bet she'd be _very_ interested in broadening her horizon!…"

Robbie's eyes grow wide "Teach her?! I!? I don't think… Sportacus!" in a reflex, the villain snatches the full spoon out of the hero's one hand and the second full plate out of his other, staring at him in shock "Are you crazy?! You'll get a sugar meltdown!"

The elf looks at him for a moment, then he starts smiling and shakes his head "No, no! Don't worry! This one's without extra sugar but with pieces of apples! I'll be fine!"

"Oh…" the felf blushes a little but needs a moment to break out of his shock freeze and hand the food back "…Sorry! I…didn't notice that you prepared two different rice puddings… I… Are you…really sure that you won't…" he worriedly glances from the hero's plate to his own and back "…You are sure that you didn't swap them accidentally? And you've never eaten this before, yourself, have you?! What if…"

"Robbie," Sportacus gently takes his hands, what is possible since they're both holding their plates on their laps now, and smiles noticeable touched "It's really okay. I already tried a spoonful while preparing it when you've been in the bathroom, so _if_ anything happened you'd get no shock. I improved the security systems of the airship. In case of a sugar meltdown in here, I'll be provided with an apple immediately…"

"You tell me again, _I'm_ too careless with my health!" growls Robbie now after the second shock about this information has ceased, frees his hands out of his friend's grip and folds his arms "I really doubt that getting a sugar meltdown on a regular basis is healthy for you, Sportaflop! I mean, not even I was _that_ cruel! I only poisoned you when it was _absolutely_ necessary for my plan!"

"How thoughtful of you," the hero laughs softly, but he senses the guilty conscience of the villain behind his half-joke and lovingly cups his cheek "Hey. It's okay. Really."

"…What exactly is?…" Robbie can't help a low sniff in an attempt to fight back his tears. "Everything," to support his words, Sportacus bows forward and kisses him shortly but lovingly "…As long as we are there for each other…"

"…This…would sound like verbiage, if anybody else said it…" the felf smiles weakly, his tears swallowed down successfully "…But luckily it's you saying it… You incorrigible positive, warmhearted, handsome fool, you…"

"Love you, too!" now Sportacus is really laughing, but soon, his expression becomes soft again and he remarks "Let's eat… _Without_ worrying for each other or getting a guilty conscience because of mistakes we made in the past…including just yesterday…" a wry smile.

"Agreed," Robbie nods and smiles as well, then they both finally focus on their food.

"Oh, and about you teaching Stephanie…"

A low knock interrupts the hero.

"Speaking of the devil," Robbie smirks and when he notices the elf's gaze, he shrugs "What? It's just a saying!"

Smiling, the hero rolls his eyes, puts the plate on the bedside table and jumps up to head for the door.

"Hey," Robbie calls him back, and when he turns around again, he throws him his hat with a wink while quickly putting on his own shirt again as well, to cover most of the blue lines "Do I always have to take care of you, Sportaflop?!"

Blushing and smirking, Sportacus quickly puts his hat back on and opens the door "Good morning, Stephanie! We've just been talking about you… By the way, you're early… And the weather isn't really nice… Did you even have breakfast?"

"No," the pink girl shakes her head, noticeably excited "My uncle and I just wanted to start eating when we suddenly got interrupted by the doorbell…"

"I bet that was Miss Busybody!" calls Robbie from the bed, rolling his eyes "Am I right?!"

"…No…"

"Why don't you come in first. You appear all worked-up…" remarks the hero worriedly and guides the child inside, already fearing the worst.

What if one of the kids got hurt during the storm?! He wouldn't know… His crystal isn't working…it's only _hurting_ people, itself…

"Is something wrong in town?" Robbie obviously shares his concern. Openly now. Even in front of Stephanie.

"…I'm not sure…" she holds on tightly to her small, pink handbag, an obvious sign for her nervousness and looks between the two men back and forth. Sportacus turns the music player off now which has been lowly playing another slow, romantic song until now. Then he gently rests a hand on her back, guiding her instinctively closer to the bed "You can tell us everything, you know that. What happened?"

"There were some people at the door…" she bites her bottom lip "…They appeared…friendly and were smiling, but… I don't know… I didn't like them…"

"Oh, I know that feeling!…" murmurs Robbie and gives her a small smile. His fear that he could hurt her accidentally with his new powers is still pressing, but gets beaten by the sad, confused look in her eyes now. He isn't sure when he's become this sentiment, or if he always has been like this, but he can't help it, anyway…

Sportacus gives him a thankful, happy look, and Stephanie returns the smile weakly, before telling on "…They…talked to my uncle at the door and I…overheard them…"

"My, girl! Don't make it more thrilling than it actually is," sighs Robbie with acted annoyance and does an inviting gesture "So, what did they want from your uncle, hm?"

"Nothing…" Stephanie looks into his eyes for another moment, then she turns to the hero "…They are looking for Sportacus…"


	67. Think!?

Sportacus has never really lost his composure in front of any of the kids.

But in this moment, dozens of different emotions are written on his face as plain as day.

Robbie sees that, and when he glances at Stephanie, he knows she does too, even before she remarks worriedly "Sportacus, you look pale. Are you all right?" The hero opens his mouth…and closes it again.

"Of course he is, Pinky!" assures Robbie quickly with a forced calming smile "He's a _hero_! He always is!"

"You mean just like you, huh?" the girl gives the villain a telling look. The felf nearly winces at this and swallows thickly before he looks at Sportacus again, searching for help.

But the other has turned around by now and is uncharacteristic slowly walking over to one of the windows to thoughtfully look outside. Which is completely pointless, since the shutters are still closed from shutting out the thunderstorm last night…

So it's up to Robbie to handle the concerned child now.

Just great…

"…My feeling was right, wasn't it?! Whoever they are, they're not as nice as they pretend to be, am I right?!" Stephanie looks between the two men back and forth again "Sportacus, are you all right? Do you know who they are? And what they want?"

"Stephanie," calls Robbie now softly and motions for her to step closer once she's looking at him again "Sit down and catch your breath for a moment. Sportacus…needs to think…"

The pink girl doesn't hesitate for one second. She approaches the bed and sits down right next to the villain, her eyes still fixed on the hero's back "I didn't like the look in their eyes… There was…something about it… I don't know what… So while my uncle was talking to them, trying to find out who they are and what they want from Sportacus, I quickly left a note that I went playing and sneaked out of my window to come here and tell you…" now she turns her head and looks straight up into the felf's eyes, her voice slightly breaking "He's in no danger, right? He can't be! He's a hero and he…didn't do anything wrong to make anybody hate him!"

Robbie stands her gaze, but he realizes that nobody has ever looked at him like this. Though, he instinctively knows what it means. This is the gaze of a child that is highly scared and searching for the support of someone she trusts. And that someone…is him. At least now, in this specific moment. What did he ever do to earn this trust? He surely did enough to _fail_ it…

But not now. Not this time.

Very hesitatingly, he gently puts an arm around her shoulders and murmurs still shyly but soothingly "He can't tell whether he knows them yet. He hasn't met them personally, right? He may…got an idea who they _could_ be, but there's no telling of who they are and what they _really_ want from him until he meets them, right?"

"I don't think it's gonna be anything good…" voices the girl her fear openly, still searching the villain's eyes. Robbie never admitted it before, not even to himself, but he's always been impressed by the young girl's fine sense for these kind of things.

Emotions…

Something that has been a closed book to _him_ until Sportacus came and broke the lock with his unique gentle force, the child has always been great at handling. At least for her age, however. At least obviously better than Robbie in _his_ age is.

And now she's sitting right next to him, looking up into his eyes with unspoken trust but as well growing fear.

The villain tries not to think about the absurdity of all of this.

Instead the felf says the only thing that comes into his mind now "Sportacus is going to be fine. Don't worry. He's in no danger. I can…sense that. Everything is going to be fine and just like it has been again, soon! I… I promise!…"

Stephanie studies his insecure expression for a moment then she turns around more and wraps her arms around the villain's neck, whispering softly right into his ear "Thank you, Robbie!"

The felf freezes in pure shock for a moment, but then he carefully returns the hug and closes his eyes.

He needs this soothing embrace at least just as much as Stephanie does, since he's closely suppressing a panic attack at these news, himself…

He can imagine what is going on in the hero's mind right now…

Yet Sportacus' next, sudden firm words catch the villain completely off guard "I'm going to call Miss Busybody. We need to find a proper hiding place for you, Robbie!…"


	68. Plans!?

"What?!" exclaim both, villain and girl, shocked, breaking their embrace during this to stare at the hero.

Robbie knows that he probably shouldn't be that surprised to hear Sportacus planning to get the felf out of the firing line.

But he is.

Simply because…

"I can't just hide away and leave you on your own to deal with them!"

Sportacus shoots him a glance, clearly saying 'Not in front of Stephanie!', and replies firmly "We're not going to discuss this."

"Yes, we are!" Robbie is surprised about his own harsh voice, but the mere thought of the hero facing other elves and taking responsibility for his disobeying, all because of the pelf, feels like a slow, painful stab right in his heart…

"Uhm… Excuse me, but…what does Robbie have to do with this? They said they are looking for _you_ , Sportacus…" reminds Stephanie carefully, looking between the two grownups back and forth with growing puzzlement.

"Yes, they are, but only because of _me_!"

"Robbie, please. Don't…"

"I won't let you risk your…everything by covering for me!" Robbie jumps up to appear less vulnerable and in need of protection. But he barely stands on his feet, he already starts staggering, his vision blurs and he collapses.

"Robbie!" cry both of his friends shocked and Sportacus is next to him at once to catch him. "Don't worry, I got you!" the elf quickly, but carefully lifts him up into his arms to seat him on the bed again, propped up by the pillows in his back, then he gently rests a hand on the rapidly rising and falling chest of the other "Shush, Robbie. Take a deep breath. It's okay. You're still too weak to fuss so heavily. Your circulation can't bear it."

"…You…mustn't do what I…think you wanna do…" gasps the villain and weakly closes both his hands around the hero's, searching his eyes "…The kids…still need you… You can't leave them… Can't leave us…"

Sportacus doesn't know whether to laugh or cry about how well Robbie already knows him. And neither does he know what to say. But Stephanie is quicker, anyway "Leave?! No! Robbie is right, you can't leave! We need you! And you two finally got together!" the girl, still sitting on the bed next to the villain folds her arms and shakes her head "No, leaving is no option! What for, anyway? What do these guys want from you? Or…Robbie? Or in general?"

Sportacus shakes his head. He doesn't feel able to answer this. His fear for Robbie is consuming every other emotion or thought.

Finally he can't stand sitting still anymore, pulls his hand back, jumps up and starts pacing in front of the bed, rubbing his eyes, mumbling something too low for the other two to understand.

Stephanie titles her head and looks at Robbie, whispering under her breath "I've never…seen him like this before…"

"He just needs a moment," assures the felf just as lowly, almost completely recovered from the small collapse again and eyes the girl for a few seconds, before he decides that leaving her completely clueless would neither be fair nor wise "…Let me try to explain this to you… I…am a villain, right?"

She shrugs "I think so. That's what you call yourself…"

"Okay. And Sportacus is the hero. Right again?"

A nod.

"Good. Now… You know the stories. The hero catches the villain and puts him in jail. Right, as well?"

The pink girl furrows her brows "You mean that little cage of yours?"

"What? No! No, no!" Robbie nearly laughs out, but due to the serious situation, he just smirks and shakes his head "I was talking about a _real_ jail where villains usually end up when the hero caught them."

"Oh… Okay."

"So. And these guys who showed up here today are Sportaflop's…uhm…supervisors."

"His what?"

"They… They tell him what to do. Give him orders and stuff and check whether he's doing a good job," the felf sits up a little more and scratches his head. Explaining this to a kid is harder than he thought…

"Okay. But…then why is he so worried? He's doing an amazing job! And what does that have to do with you?"

"Well… He's the hero and I'm the…villain… You know what that means. His original orders were to take me back to his…home where I'd have been sentenced and put in jail. But…"

"But you're not _that_ kind of villain! You're… _you_! You don't belong in jail, Robbie Rotten!" exclaims the pink girl shocked. The felf smiles weakly and reflexively nudges her very gently "It's nice of you to say that, Pinky… And…Sportacus obviously thought the same… But with this, he disobeyed direct orders… And got himself into trouble. Now these men probably came here for scolding him and…very likely finish what he couldn't force himself to do…"

"That's why he wants you to hide… But…what did he want to do then?"

"Upset his bosses even more and then take a dramatic leave, so they would hunt _him_ and I'd be out of danger…" Robbie fixes his eyes on the still pacing elf, his voice growing louder and firmer "But this is _no_ option! Not only would it endanger him even more, but it wouldn't even work! Once they got him… Once they got _you_ , they'd return here and hunt _me_ as well. No matter where I'd hide, no matter where I'd go. You know that they wouldn't give up. Not before they got me… So, _please_ , try to think rational for once, Sportaflop! If you cooperate with them, the chances are good that at least you will get off with only a few scratches…"

Sportacus freezes in his move and stares at him in wordless shock.

Once more it's Stephanie filling the silence "Are you crazy?! Sportacus won't sell you out! Never! There _has_ to be another way! Maybe we could…talk to them and explain that you're no real villain!? We're gonna be your witnesses!"

"No. We won't drag you into this trouble as well. Neither of you!" contradicts Robbie at once sharply. The child folds her arms "You're _our_ town villain, Robbie Rotten, and, what's far more important, you're _our friend_! We're already as deep in this trouble as we could get!"

The felf is deeply moved by these words, but he though opens his mouth to contradict.

"She's right," says the hero in this moment lowly and returns to the bed to sit on its edge and gently take the felf's hands in his own, his expression a little calmer again "We'll need all the help we can get. And you were right as well. Fleeing or distracting them is no real option. But we _have_ to _hide_ you! Until we figure something out… Because if they'd find and catch you right away, there's no way to convince them of who you _really_ are and that you belong here, not…in jail… They'd leave immediately, otherwise."

"But…"

"No buts, Robbie," Sportacus plants a gentle, soothing kiss on the villain's cheek and smiles weakly "I promise you not to endanger myself in any stupid way. But we need more time. Time to figure out a plan that could actually work and includes that we…can stay together…and everything in LazyTown stays just the way it is now. And the only way to buy us more time…"

"…is to hide Robbie and put on a convincing show of not knowing where to find him, if they ask any of us any questions!" finishes Stephanie with shining eyes and nods supportive "You're right, Sportacus! Call Bessie. She'll know a good hideout! And I'll take care that Robbie got everything he needs wherever he'll stay!"

The felf can't help another light, moved smile, although he isn't that convinced of the plan yet "That's very nice of you, Stephanie."

"That's what friends are there for!" she winks at him and returns the gentle nudge from before "Oh, but I got one more question…"

Sportacus and Robbie both tilt their heads expectantly.

"…What are those blue lines on your hands and arms, Robbie?…"


	69. Signs!?

Robbie feels the color leaving his face.

He forgot about them.

Again!

He should've paid attention that the girl won't see his…magical injuries or whatever they are! But instead he hugged and openly showed them to her without even realizing it!

Great, Robbie Rotten.

Just _great_!

He usually would've groaned or growled in frustration now, and thrown anything around in anger, probably spraining something or hurting himself in any other way during this.

He would.

But he's not alone in his lair.

He's in Sportacus'…his _boyfriend's_ airship.

There's nothing to throw around here.

Nothing to break…

Besides, his friends are still watching him…

So he stays remarkably calm and while Sportacus starts chewing his lower lip, thinking about a good explanation to give the child, Robbie already starts with his "That's the reason why I didn't want you to come too close yesterday. We weren't…sure whether this was infective in any way… But we know now that it's…an allergic reaction to…Sportacus' crystal."

Robbie's eyes shortly dart to the hero, but he's just looking at him, obviously trying to figure out how much of this is a necessary lie, how much truth and how plausible this may sound for the girl now. Stephanie meanwhile blinks slowly, before she repeats carefully "…An allergic reaction? To Sportacus' crystal? But…"

"I know. I've touched it before, but not as long. I… I held it in my hands for a few minutes while we were…talking… A few hours later these lines appeared…" the felf is a little surprised, himself, that lying is so easy at this moment. Even his voice is completely steady… But he's thankful for this. The more the girl knows what _really_ is going on here, the greater the danger for her, Robbie is sure about that. And the fear for her safety overpowers his guilty conscience he's feeling the whole time already.

That's a mostly new feeling for him as well, at least this strong.

Yeah, in some ways, life as a villain was a little easier…

Wait…

'Was'?

Does that mean…he doesn't think of himself as a villain anymore?!?

"…Robbie?…" Sportacus gently cups his cheek and the villain winces a little, but then he relaxes again.

"Hm?" he blinks slowly "Sorry, I was…distracted… What did you say?"

"I said: please, eat something while I prepare everything for getting you into safety," the hero lovingly caresses the felf's cheek again, a sad smile on his lips "I'll call Bessie and then I'm going to pack a small bag for you… Just some important things that you may need at first…" his voice trails off and he suddenly pulls his hands back, not able to meet his friend's gaze anymore. He can't imagine leaving Robbie's side for more than a few minutes anymore. Not now that they _finally_ realized what they're feeling for each other. Stephanie was right about that. But…it's the only way to protect the felf. At least for a few…days… During which Robbie can neither stay here nor in his lair, since both places are definitely going to be searched by whoever has come here to check on the hero. _If_ they really are after the villain as well of course…

The elf sighs mutely.

Of course they are.

Believing anything else would be self-deception and end up in endangering Robbie willingly…

Sportacus suddenly feels something wet running down his cheek and he quickly stands up, turns away and wipes the tear away in a swift, casual appearing hand move.

But Robbie has seen it, nevertheless. Partly because he has just been struggling with very similar thoughts, himself, and also feels like crying now.

How is he supposed to get along on his own again, without the hero's supporting presence? Probably even in a completely foreign environment!? And he's still sick and weakened after all! And not in full control of his powers yet! And what if…he'll start to get hallucinations again?! He won't be able to tell what is real and what not anymore without Sportacus' help! He just _knows_ that! And what about…

"Robbie? Robbie!" relatively petite hands grab his arm and start to nudge him, followed by another low call "Hey, Robbie!"

The villain isn't able to response. His mind keeps dragging him deeper and deeper into his fear of the upcoming events and challenges…

Alarmed by Stephanie's worried voice, Sportacus returns to the bed once more. Noticing Robbie's shallow, quick going breathing and his increasing trembling, he realizes at once what is going on and quickly but gently takes his face between his hands, his voice low and soft "Hey… It's all right, Robbie. Look at me."

"I… I-I can't…do this, Sportacus! I can't! I'm sorry! I'm sorry, I'm sorry…"

It may appear absurd. The same man that just lied to the girl to protect her of the truth of the upcoming danger in a calm voice without even flinching once is now panicking and close to another mental breakdown as it seems…

But Sportacus isn't surprised. How could he be after everything that has already happened?…

"Shush… Yes, you can…"

"No! I'm…too weak… What if…" his breathing hitches and he starts to look around pointlessly, as if he's looking for something.

"Robbie. Eyes on me. Breathe," without thinking about it, the hero bows down and gently presses their foreheads together, his voice lowering down to a whisper "I know this scares you. Me too… And if I could, I would find another way…so we wouldn't have to part now… But it's not for long, I promise! And remember, you're _strong_!"

"…But…my…hallucinations…"

"You handled them before. Almost your whole life. Without help. And it's not even sure that you'll get any when…"

"The kids…mustn't see me like this…" a low sob and a shuddering inhale, then his eyes move over to look at Stephanie. She's still sitting next to him, her face reflecting fear, shock and confusion, but when she notices the felf's gaze, she starts to smile weakly and hesitatingly reaches out to take his shaking hand, whispering lowly "It's okay, Robbie. I won't tell anybody… But you don't have to feel ashamed. Everybody gets scared. Even Sportacus does!"

At this, Robbie starts to smile very weakly, before he looks into the hero's eyes again. Sportacus returns the look and although the strange tightness in his chest increases, he can't help but smile as well.

None of the three really knows what kind of smile that is, but it's the only reassurance that one day everything will be all right again, that they have right now.

A secret sign.

A silent promise.


	70. Promise!?

"…All right… You both…know what you have to do…" Sportacus struggles to keep his voice and hands steady while handing Stephanie the small, white and blue rucksack.

The girl nods "We'll meet Bessie in the library. But we won't take the direct way through the woods, but the longer one, leading around it most of the time to avoid meeting your…supervisors, if they're already on their way here."

"Yes. And remember to take breaks, if Robbie needs to. He's still very weak and…"

"I won't need breaks…"

Puzzled, the hero and the girl turn their heads to look at the villain standing leaned against the wall next to the closed door with his arms folded and his eyes fixed on the ground.

"Robbie, that's nothing to be ashamed of! You…"

"No," cuts the felf Sportacus off in a low voice "I won't need to take any breaks because I'm not going."

"What?!" Stephanie nearly drops the rucksack in surprise "Of course you are! You can't stay here, remember!?"

"Neither can I leave!" exclaims Robbie audibly desperate and turns away.

"But…"

"Stephanie," interrupts Sportacus softly and makes her a small sign to let him handle this, then he silently steps right behind the felf's back "…Robbie… I know that you're scared, but…"

"That's not it!" the other turns around again, his voice breaking even more now "Not this time… I… I just can't leave you!" once more this morning, his eyes fill with tears and he clenches his hands into fists "Here! On your own! To deal with these… These… I **_can't_**!"

"But you _have_ to!" the elf grabs his shoulders and gives him a firm look "Robbie. I can't protect you here. We need to find out what they _really_ want, before we can think of a real plan. But until we do, I need to know you're safe!"

"And what about _you_?!" the felf pushes his hands off and takes a labored breath in "What about _me_ needing to know that _you_ are safe?!"

"I'm not in danger…"

"You and I both know very well that we can't say that for sure!"

"Robbie…" Sportacus gestures with his eyes at the girl, begging him not to mention this in her presence.

"What?! Stephanie is smart! And you even want her to guide me to town, so you're very well aware that she already understands more than we think she does! She knows that we're _both_ in danger! Don't you?!" Robbie looks at the child and gets a small nod for an answer "See?! So don't come at me and try to convince me that I'm the only one in trouble here!"

"We have a plan," the hero's voice becomes uncharacteristic strict and he suddenly grabs both of Robbie's wrists and closes the distance between their faces. What isn't that hard, since the felf is a little hunched over again, as so often. "And this plan includes _you_ hiding somewhere, where it's safe, and _me_ facing my people and thinking about a real plan that will lead to a happy end for all of us! And we're going to _stick_ to this plan!"

"You actually expect me to leave the _one_ person that ever made a difference in my life and who also is the only person I mean a lot to?! Don't you think that's worse than whatever these persons could do to m- ** _Mm!_** "

The lips that are suddenly pressing on his own cut him off and catch him completely by surprise, so the first few seconds he just stares into the elf's closed eyes, mere centimeters in front of his own, before his body reacts on its own. He relaxes into the kiss, his arms come to rest on Sportacus' back and he can feel his own breathing and heartbeat falling in synch with the hero's again and his eyes shut.

The kiss lasts for over one minute but feels far too short when Sportacus finally, almost roughly pushes the felf off this time, and turns him towards Stephanie and the door. His voice and his eyes reflect a wild mixture of love, bravery and fear "Go. I'll try to visit you as soon as possible."

"Do you promise?" more tears stream down the felf's cheeks and he tries to hold on to the tingling, warm sensation on his lips while turning his head back to look at the hero. Knowing that there's no clue on how soon he'll experience this feeling again the next time…

Sportacus returns his gaze and replies low but clearly "I promise."

Then he turns his back towards his friends and rasps forcedly strict "Leave now. Stephanie…please, be careful out there…"

"We will be, don't worry," replies the girl and adds even lower "…Come on, Robbie…"

Low steps.

Seconds later, Sportacus can feel the wind, blowing into his airship, before the door closes behind the felf's and the girl's back again.

The very same moment, the hero falls to his knees, buries his face into his hands and starts to sob silently…


	71. Different!?

He was expecting a comment.

An acted sound of disgust or even an exaggerated 'Aw!'.

Anything.

But they walk on next to each other in complete silence.

Except of his low sniffing then and now.

The felf tries his best not to think about the hero back in his airship too much, but each time he does try to remind himself not to do this, it only gets harder to suppress the upcoming tears and his sniffing gets worse.

Suddenly, he gets tugged at his arm and when he turns to look down at the girl, she's holding him a pink tissue, a sympathizing, soft smile on her lips. With a weak, shaking smile, Robbie takes it "Thank you, Pinky."

"You're welcome. And…don't worry about Sportacus. He'll be fine. You know him. Nothing can sweep him off his feet that easy!"

"Except of a sugar apple," the felf smirks and blows his nose, then he blushes lightly "Yeah… Nothing I did could… But…maybe that's because I never…really tried… Sportacus was right about that… I… Uhm… I'm gonna wash that, then you'll get it back…" he waves with the mostly clean, just slightly wet tissue. Stephanie giggles "You're fun, Robbie! That's why all the kids like you!"

"Really?" the felf blushes even more "Well… I…never really noticed…"

"That you're fun? Or…that we like you?…" the girl furrows her brows "If it's the latter, then I'm sorry! I… We really thought you'd know…"

"…Both…I guess…" Robbie shrugs weakly and absently starts tugging at the edges of the pink tissue while slowly walking on "…Don't apologize… I'm…complicated… I know and always knew that… And I didn't make it particularly easy for you, I'm aware of that…"

"Neither did we, for you. We could've been a little bit more understanding when it was obvious that you were tired. At least sometimes… After all, you often looked pretty groggy and Sportacus taught us that a good sleep is essential for staying healthy!" she tilts her head and her expression becomes guilty "Do you think…that's why you fell sick?…"

"It's not your fault. I always had trouble sleeping. Especially at night. It's…" he shrugs weakly "…It's part of my nature you could say…"

"I'm really sorry…"

A short break.

Then "…What…were you and Sportacus talking about? Hallucinations? Did you…have any?…"

Robbie involuntarily slows down a bit and his tugging at the tissue gets a little weaker, too, when he mumbles "…I… I live with them…since I can remember… They mostly set in when I'm calming down…or try to fall asleep… Almost always at night or in the evening or early morning… Sometimes…it's not easy to tell whether a situation is real or not anymore… But I got some tricks. They work well, as long as I'm in my…usual environment, like my lair…" his voice trails off. Stephanie eyes him for a few seconds, thinking carefully about what the villain has just said "…Then… What happened in Sportacus' airship? That's no familiar environment, is it?"

The felf smiles lightly "Clever girl. No. It's not… And…I actually had some troubles pretty soon when I got a strong hallucination because of my fever… But…Sportacus was there for me…" his smile brightens and he blushes even heavier, focusing on the tissue again. The pink girl smirks "You really love him, hm?! I'm so happy for you! It really was about time you two finally realized! Took you long enough!" she laughs softly "The others will be excited to hear about this!" she stops and tilts her head once more "You…are going to tell them, right?"

"…Uhm… Yeah… I mean… I…guess?" his face heats up even more "…I don't know…what Sportacus wants…"

"Why wouldn't he want the others to know?" Stephanie shakes her head.

"…Well… I'm…not really…" he shrugs helplessly and gestures weakly at himself. Stephanie rolls her eyes "I bet you had that talk with Sportacus before, right?!"

"How…" the felf winces and stares at her "How do you…"

"Oh come on, it's really not that hard to figure out! And I'm sure he told you that 'this' doesn't matter at all and that you're great, just the way you are, right?! Well, he's right!"

"But… Are you actually…okay with this? I mean… You kids admire him for his…flippedy-floppedy and his breakneck stunts and all that… And then he has _me_ as his…friend…" another weak shrug and Robbie looks at the ground uneasily. He knows how important these children are for the sports-elf. And if there's any chance of them losing their respect or interest in him because of the lazy villain…

"Oh, Robbie," Stephanie gently nudges his arm with her own and flashes him a soothing smile "I already told you, we were expecting and hoping for this to happen for a very long time already. And _we_ are _all_ different! But we are who we are and we're still Sportacus' friends. And not only because he's amazing at sports, but because he understands and supports us! That's far more important!" she looks at him while walking on and he returns the look. Both of them thinking in silence again…

"…Wherever Bessie is going to hide you…very likely won't be familiar surroundings for you as well…" remarks the girl finally lowly, still searching his eyes. Robbie nods once and notices too late that his hands start to shake and ball the tissue now.

But almost immediately a smaller hand comes to rest on them "Don't worry. We'll think of something. And until then we simply won't leave you alone in your hideout. Promised."

Robbie looks at her.

With different eyes than before now.

This isn't just the young, stubborn, (for his taste far too) active little pink girl anymore that first came to town all those years ago.

Well, she surely still is in some way.

But…

"…You've grown so much…"

"Oh, well, I surely had to buy some new clothes already…"

"No, not just…physically… In every way I mean… You're clever and warmhearted… Sportacus must feel so proud…" Robbie smiles softly, but realizes in surprise he does feels just as proud of her "Thank you, Steph."

 

 

He has cleared every single clue that could hint on the felf's…on _anybody's_ stay here.

He checked twice.

It actually was a good distraction from the small breakdown he experienced right after his two friends left to take Robbie to safety.

Hopefully so.

The hero still feels all shaky, just thinking about the possibility of them running right into the elves' arms on their way to meet Bessie.

Every instinct of his body screams at him to take the airship or the sky glider or even just to run after them to check whether they're all right.

But he can't.

For the same reason he couldn't take Robbie to town himself, in the first place. The risk that the Elders, or their representatives or whoever arrived here today, see them together now or follow the hero to the hideout and with this to Robbie simply would be far too great.

Like this, they got at least a small chance to buy themselves some more time…

His eyes move to the bed where the felf has been sitting and eating some of the rice pudding, although he was feeling rather sick again and not hungry any more, just about half an hour ago. Sportacus ate something as well, just like Stephanie. She didn't have breakfast after all, because she hurried here. But although the food was really good, neither of them was able to enjoy it. Of course not…

And then Sportacus had called Bessie and Stephanie finished packing the rucksack for the villain while the felf himself changed into his own clothes again. The hero couldn't help but watch him more or less secretly during this, taking in his features and memorizing them as precisely as possible…

And now this memory comes up already, reminding Sportacus of the person he needs to protect. Of his smell, his soft, easy to break, pale skin, his simply adorable, cute, chubby, soft belly…

A knock at the door rips him out of his daydream and startles him violently. But he quickly pulls himself together again and hurries to the closed door, opening it with a shaking push at the switch. He silently rebukes himself and forces his body to suppress the tremor again, just in time with the door opening.

"Hello."

"Number Ten?"

"…Yes…"

"Where is he?"


	72. Games!?

"…Who? Ten? That's me and I'm here," Sportacus hears these words leaving his mouth and wonders when he has become this…sassy.

Maybe Robbie already had an influence on him in more ways than he thought?…

The two men - elves in the usual, but for human probably unspectacular appearing security guard outfit - are standing next to each other in front of the door and look at the hero. Their eyes cold.

"Number Ten. Five years ago you were sent to LazyTown with the mission to capture and take the criminal Robbie Rotten to the Elders for sentencing. In case of unexpected complications you were ordered to inform them immediately. They neither got a message, nor the expected delivery of the subject until now."

"Delivery? I thought I was trained as a hero, not a postman," Sportacus' lips reflexively twitch up into a smirk.

He understands his own, uncharacteristic actions now.

He's angry.

Furious.

Hearing these elves talk about Robbie like he's a _thing_ is killing him inside and increases the unknown urge to yell and give in to his rage. And this time Robbie isn't there to hold him back… So the only thing he can think of and does completely knee jerky now is playing dumb and sassy… Something he got just as little experience with as with lying or using force against someone…

"Where is Robbie Rotten?"

"You know… Five years is a pretty long time… And I was so busy. So many things happened. I met lots of new people… And Robbie Rotten… Wait. Let me think…" the hero folds his arms and knits his brows like he's seen Robbie doing it sometimes before. He only hopes it doesn't look as cute with him as well…

"You had your orders."

"And I would've followed them, but I couldn't. Robbie Rotten left LazyTown even before I got here. But the kids where in such a lazy state that I had no choice but to stay. I'm sorry, if my letter didn't reach the Elders. Maybe it got lost? There _are_ some heavy storm zones on the way from here to Iceland after all…" he shrugs helplessly "But you surely know that. You took the same way to come here after all, right?! Oh, that reminds me! My, I'm such a bad host today, I'm sorry!" he takes a step aside and does an inviting gesture "Would you like to come in and…"

"Enough with these games, Sportacus."

The blue elf freezes in his move.

Even after all these years, even after hearing it only twice in his entire life, he recognizes this voice at once.

He feels cold sweet building in his neck.

His slight trembling returns and he whispers involuntarily "…Nine…"

 

 

"…Stephanie… I'm sorry, but I… I guess I need…a break after all…" staggering, Robbie leans against the nearest tree, panting hard.

"Of course! You should've said so sooner! You don't have to apologize!" the girl is next to him at once, and takes his hand to guide him over to a stump "Come here, take a seat. You don't look so good…"

"I'm fine. Just…a little…dizzy…" the felf drops down on the dead, cut off tree and rests his head in his shaking hands, closing his eyes. He feels so tired…and incredibly worried. There's a still weak but strange pull in his stomach and he starts to feel cold again.

Whether the elves have already reached Sportacus' airship by now?

And if so, are they asking him questions now?

Are they…possibly…hurting him?…

The strange feeling in his stomach spreads in his entire body now.

He shouldn't have left his friend alone!

He should have…

"Robbie," the gentle voice, along with a soft nudge against his arm rid him out of his dark, fearful thoughts and he blinking raises his gaze and looks at the concerned face of the pink girl and the plastic water bottle she's holding into his sight "…You should drink something. Sportacus told me that I need to make sure that you stay hydrated…"

Absently Robbie takes the bottle, opens the lid and swallows hard "…We should go back to the ship. I… I don't think I can make it…"

"We're almost there. And we can't go back, you know that," Stephanie carefully rests her hand on the villain's arm "Besides, I'm sure he's fine. Better than you are I suppose…" furrowing her brows, the pink girl carefully reaches out to feel the villain's forehead "…You mustn't overexert yourself. Sportacus said that you might get a temperature then…"

"…Sportacus…said quite a lot, didn't he?…" a weak smile after his first, light wince at the touch "…I'm…thankful that you take such good care of me. But I'm okay, really. I just need a few minutes…" he takes a small sip of the water and eyes the girl in front of him as good as it is possible with his dizziness "…By the way… That reminds me of a discussion, Sporty and I had this morning… We were…dancing… And… Well, to cut the chatter short, Sportacus asked me whether I would teach you some standard dances…" Robbie isn't really sure why he tells her this just now. But talking distracts him a little from his growing uneasiness. He's genuinely surprised when the girl's eyes start to shine and she nods quickly "Yes! That would be so great!"

"…Aren't you…you know…surprised that the laziest person in town actually suggests to move around voluntarily?…" a weak smile and a blush.

At this, Stephanie laughs out "Oh, Robbie Rotten! You are many things. But definitely _not_ the laziest person in town!…"


	73. Disappearance!?

He could really use another break.

Right now.

Right here on the road, between these oh so familiar, apparently partly randomly placed walls.

But right here, right now would be the worst place and time.

Especially if the men he's supposed to hide from are still in town.

Admittedly, following the instinct to just drop down on the ground would be completely Robbie like and just another one of his unfinished ideas, resulting in a disaster or even small catastrophe for him…

But the difference is that this time, this isn't just about him. It's about Sportacus…and now even Stephanie as well. He simply can't allow himself to make the situation even worse than it already is by failing as gravely as he usually does!…

His eyes move to the girl, walking next to him pretty close by now, supporting him each time he's staggering again.

The girl who'd love him to teach her standard dances sometime and who nearly laughed her head off because by all means, the villain is anything but lazy with all the effort he always put in his attempts to either chase Sportacus out of town or to just tease him. And she…surely got a point there…

"Robbie, you really don't look well…" Stephanie quickly grabs his arm when he starts to sway once more "Hold on, we're almost there…"

"…I'm…fine…" mumbles the felf and swallows hard, forcing a wry smile on his lips "…I just…wouldn't have thought that I…actually ever would feel happy to see the library…"

"Why's that?"

"I…uhm… I still owe them money for some books…" he blushes lightly and staggers again. His legs feel all wobbly and he's incredible thankful that he can lean on Stephanie for the last meters of their long way.

"Oh, don't worry about that. I'm sure, Bessie will turn a blind eye to this, once she sees how sick you are."

"…Bessie?…"

"Yeah. She's in charge of the library. Didn't you know? That's another reason why we're meeting her here. It's safer than at her home and Sportacus said that she said that…"

"Steph," interrupts Robbie weakly and shakes his head "Look, I know you mean well, but… Half as fast and just a quarter as loud, please… Currently, my brain sometimes already feels like milk. Like for example right now, and with your prattling it turns into cream…"

"Oh… Right. Sorry!" the girl successfully suppresses a smirk at this comparison and smiles soothingly instead "Anyway, Bessie surely knows a place for you to hide."

Robbie nods weakly.

Right now he just wants to sit, or even better lay down and just close his eyes for a few minutes. And despite his usual lifestyle and his declared attempt to be lazy, he's genuinely surprised about this. He wouldn't have thought that he's still this weak and easily exhausted. Even up to a point where he can't walk straight anymore on his own…

Finally they reach the door of the old building. Stephanie quickly opens it and drags the felf inside, calling lowly "Bessie? Are you here?"

No response. The next second Robbie suddenly collapses next to her on the ground, after gently pushing her supporting hands off.

"Robbie!" shocked, the pink girl kneels down next to him and nudges his shoulder "Robbie!"

"I'm okay…" the villain opens his eyes and manages a weak smile "I just…felt like laying down right now…"

"Okay…" she furrows her brows in slight disbelief "…Couldn't you…wait until we reach the seats? They're right over there… Didn't you hurt yourself?"

"No, I'm really fine. Go now and find Bessie. I'll…wait here for you."

"But…"

"Stephanie. Please," Robbie gives her a begging, clearly pained look "…I really have to rest soon, and you'll find her faster when I just…stay here…"

In a way, the child instinctively knows that this is just a part of his true motive to send her away. But she, of course, isn't able to fully understand everything that is happening here at the moment, and most of all, she doesn't really have a choice right now and senses the distress of her friend…

"…Okay. But call me, if you need something. She can't be far, after all. Somewhere in the depths between the bookshelves, I guess… I'll hurry up!" she gently squeezes his shoulder, then she puts the rucksack down next to the villain and dashes off ahead, further into the great room.

She barely is out of sight and earshot, Robbie can't hold back the painful groan anymore, turns onto his side and doubles over, his arms pressed on his stomach, whimpering lowly "…Sportacus…"

 

 

"…How often shall I tell you? I don't know where he is. He left town. Nobody knows where he went," Sportacus sighs convincingly annoyed while he watches with folded arms how the two security guards search the closets of his airship. "…I surely wouldn't hide him with the sports equipment, by the way…"

The elf, the snippy comment was pointed on, doesn't react but continues his investigation without doing so much as blinking.

"My dear Sportacus… I may call you Sportacus, right?" Nine, who's been studying the cockpit until now, seemingly absently, slowly approaches the hero now, his arms folded as well, on his lips a small smile "…After all, the people here do as well… You do are aware that this is against the orders of the elders, aren't you?!" his expression turns into mock pity.

Since the moment the other started talking and then stepped out of the shadows, past the other two elves, Sportacus' feeling of utter helplessness grew. For some reason he can't help the feeling that Nine, meanwhile one of the 'wise elders' now himself, somehow knows _everything_.

But that's impossible!

…Right?!…

"…The kids needed a real person, a _name_ they could speak with and trust in, not just a number. I had no choice. Telling them my real name and developing some kind of…emotional bond was necessary for my mission…"

"Oh?" the older ex-hero raises both brows in acted confusion "But your _main_ mission was to capture Rotten, if I remember correctly. Wasn't it?!"

"With his disappearance the mission changed I thought," Sportacus manages to stand the searching eyes of the other without flinching. His mind blends the noises, the other two elves are making with their search, out completely. He needs all of his energy to focus on the main threat now.

Nine.

His precursor…and Robbie's nightmare…

"…It surely did…" a slow nod, adding to a ridiculous obviously acted thoughtful gaze, then Nine walks on, pacing the room, asking sharp questions in a casual tone "This is an airship. Why isn't it in the air?"

"I had to do some maintenance. We had a quite heavy storm here two days in a row."

"Hm… I understand…"

A pause.

Then, when Nine is standing in front of the place where the bed usually comes out of the wall in the evening, he asks in a dangerously low voice "…And where is your crystal? You know it's strictly forbidden to take it off at any time. A hero is _always_ on duty."

Sportacus has been expecting this question of course. But though he can sense his body tensing up when he replies just as calm as before "It got damaged. By one of my magical exercises. I miscalculated a rebound and it got hit with some of the flowing energy. I didn't manage to fix it yet. There's hardly anything about it to find in my books…"

"Well, that must've been quite a rebound to damage such a mighty instrument… By the way, now that you mention it… The devastated land behind your airship? Is that the place where you practice?"

"Yes."

"Mm… Strange… I could've sworn…there were different marks of energy than that of an elf there…"

"Well, we do have some trolls here… They live in the mountains. But sometimes they come down here for no particular reason. Maybe they searched shelter from the storm in a lower place like here?"

A sly smirk "Maybe."

He knows.

He knows _everything_!

Sportacus tries to suppress this feeling again, but it keeps screaming at him in his head.

He needs to stay calm.

Focused.

Don't let him see your weakness…

The old elf's smirk broadens.

The hero senses that his body starts to tremble oh so slightly but still hard enough for the other to notice.

What now?…

"Sir."

"Hm?" Nine doesn't take his eyes off of Sportacus, not even now.

"We found the crystal. It's activated."


	74. Found!?

"Well, well, well. What a pleasant surprise…" Nine studies the crystal for several minutes now already.

He doesn't even raise his gaze again to look at the younger elf when he shakes his head in mock disappointment now "…Although I really gotta say I thought you'd be smarter, Sportacus…"

The hero feels his trembling increasing. He doesn't know what is going on anymore.

Nothing that is happening here is going according to his, admittedly poor, plan. Not since the moment Nine spoke up for the first time.

Sportacus knows that he can't compete with the much older, more experienced and, above all, heinous elf.

But he can't back off either…

"I told you it was broken…" his voice is shaking.

Damn it! He has to calm down again! Otherwise he's going to be easy pray…and Robbie already lost…

Why can't he know more about this crystal?! What does 'activated' even mean in this case??

"Oh yes, you said it got hit by a rebound…" Nine nods slowly, before he starts grinning again "…But not by a rebound of **_your_** energy!"

The sudden change of the former low voice into something close to a superiority expressing yell startles Sportacus and he can't help a light wince. Playing with the crystal in his hands, the visitor smirks wickedly at this reaction of the other and walks back to the town hero to start circling him in purposefully slow motions "Oh, I know this must be really confusing for you now," his voice is back to mock sympathy, but he won't stop with his circles "You see, there's a _good_ reason for your…for _every_ hero's lack of knowledge about these crystals. You're not _supposed_ to know more than that it shows you when someone's in trouble. I didn't know much more, myself, before I became one of the Elders! But, oh, that's not even a tiny _taste_ of what it is actually _capable_ of! You know… I'm not allowed to tell you about _any_ of this of course, since you're just a little 'hero'. Yet… But since you don't take the rules so hard, yourself, I might as well give you a little example… Let's see… Oh. I know! That's something _very_ interesting!…" he stops right in front of Sportacus who hasn't moved a single muscle the whole time, and holds the crystal up, pointing at it, on his lips a broad smirk "This little stone has its very own _defense mechanism_! Admittedly I've never seen it, myself, but it's gotta be _great_! It's not even that painful at first, but it's _very_ effective!"

Sportacus feels the color leaving his face.

"And do you know what's even _better_?!" Nine's smirk becomes seemingly impossible broader "When the stone gets crafted… Actually, _born_ would be the more accurate expression… Anyway, during the very first minutes, you can _tell_ it on whose touch it should react and who it's supposed to attack. Who's a threat. Who's its _enemy_. Who has to either be _destroyed_ …or at least kept in check…" a knowing wink.

The hero's legs nearly give way beneath him, but he forces himself to take a steadying breath in and manages to sound almost calm "But we're supposed to always take the peaceful path to solve a conflict, if there happens to be any. Why…"

"There are exceptions. Besides, the crystal mustn't ever fall into the wrong hands! And there are some…species, whose hands would _definitely_ be wrong!" the smile leaves Nine's face and he steps even closer to the hero, his voice lowered to a dangerous hiss "I guess we both know what I'm talking about. So I'm asking you one more time. Where is he?"

Maybe it's the sudden change of Nine's strategy, that he's showing a glimpse of his real face now that restores some of Sportacus' composure. His body straightens up a little and he narrows his eyes, his voice just as low "And I'm telling you again. Robbie Rotten left LazyTown a long time ago. He's no threat anymore. There's no reason to…"

"Didn't you learn _anything_ at school, Sportacus?!" Nine laughs out and shakes his head "These bastards are a threat for the entire world at worst, if nobody stops them! The rules that we have are there to _protect_ us! Yet some of these absolutely _stupid_ individuals keep breaking them and endanger _everybody_ with the consequences of their disobeying! They're few, but they're powerful at worst. These crystals are the only things even more powerful, if used correctly," the older elf starts to smile again and suddenly reaches into his pocket "…They're also meant to protect our heroes of course… If they get in danger and threatened by powerful enemies, it's important for the elders to know that immediately. Health education elves rarely are involved in such things, but every kind of hero gets the same kind of crystal, so in case the hero dies, and like this won't be able to answer questions or fight back anymore, his crystal protects and shields his body of any environmental, often violent influences, by fighting the enemy off with a charge of its energy, which remains in the subject's body. Each further attempt to steal the crystal leads to another burst of energy. But with the first one the Elders also get informed about the incident. The method we use for this important, flawless link of live information has been discovered decades ago… Right after the crystal's birth and configuration…" Nine turns his hand around and opens it, revealing another, completely identical stone on his palm "…it gets split in two," he searches Sportacus' confused, angry gaze "Two crystals, still acting as one. _Thinking_ as one! If one gets attacked, the other reacts as well. With the only difference that the energy this one sets free activates an alarm of the system in which it's integrated. Then the Elders send somebody to retrieve the other part of the crystal, along with the body in most cases. The second part leads him there. And just that happened, Sportacus. Your crystal reacted on the touch of a known but rare threat. I was sent to retrieve it and save you at best. Not just from the enemy…" Nine takes another step closer, looking down on the just slightly smaller hero "…but especially from yourself. You're young. You have no idea what you're dealing with. It's not too late yet, Sportacus. You can still do your job. You are even allowed to stay here as the hero, if you want to. But therefore you now have to cooperate."

Sportacus stands his gaze for some seconds. The tension in the air is sensible and it looks like their eyes are fighting a silent war of their own.

Then the blue elf takes a step back and straightens up even more, taking an obvious defensive position without uttering a single word.

Nine nods slowly "…You know… Once such a crystal has activated its defense mechanism and has been retrieved, it doesn't get used again for another hero. No. It takes the next step in the progress of capturing the threat…" without taking his eyes off of Sportacus, he slowly brings the two stones together until they suddenly disappear in bright light for a split second and reappear as one bigger, round crystal, lying in the elder's open palm "…They reunite…"

Sportacus still doesn't even blink.

"Now this crystal got its full power back. And the control over it. But not only over the one closed inside of the stone… But over all of the energy which source lies in it. And with elven magic, the magic it got born of, the guard of this crystal is in control over its powers. And by the look in your eyes I can tell that you know very well that I'm not one to hesitate to use it," Nine takes the pearl between two fingers, his voice is firm and openly threatening now "So for the last time now, Sportacus. Where is Robbie Rotten? Where is the **_felf_**?"

 

 

"…But if he really mustn't be seen by these men, why doesn't he just use one of his usual disguises?! That would be one of the rare appropriate times for them!…"

"They know that he uses disguises and would surely check for that, anyway. Besides, he's still far too weak to… Robbie!" Stephanie hurries over to the villain, the moment her gaze falls on his trembling, curled up form on the ground "Robbie, can you hear me?!?"

"…A quarter…as loud…Steph…remember?…" murmurs the felf and forces his eyes open, managing a very weak, shaking smile "…Did you…find Bessie?…"

Before the girl gets to answer this, the person in question is already looking down on him "Oh, my! Mister Rotten, you _actually_ don't look well at all!"

"We _told_ you, Bessie!" Stephanie notices that Robbie tries to sit up and quickly supports him "That's why we need to take him to that hideout as quick as possible! Is it very far to go?"

"Hm?" the woman is busy, taking in the town villain's weakened appearance "Oh! No, not at all! Just a few meters, actually. Come on, follow me," she takes the rucksack from the ground and leads the way. Stephanie and Robbie exchange a surprised glance, then she asks lowly "Do you think you can make it?"

"Sure," the felf smiles weakly. While the girl has been searching for Miss Busybody he had done some of the exercises Sportacus taught him just yesterday to release some of his energy that has built up inside him, probably due to his excitement and exhaustion.

Yesterday?

Are the happier times actually not even a full day away?!

That knowledge feels so…scary…

Robbie barely registers that they're already on their way. Stephanie is supporting his exhausted body as much as she can, and finally Bessie stops in front of a bookshelf that perfectly looks like any other here, smirks, takes out a book, reaches out with her hand, activates a hidden switch and the shelf swings to the side and reveals a door "Tada! Welcome! I already set up a small bed. It's not much and rather narrow, but nobody's going to find you here anytime soon, I'm sure about that!" she opens this door as well, revealing a small, dark room, hidden in the wall, and invitingly gestures inside "…You're…probably gonna need a flashlight… Here, let me hold it for you…"

"Thanks, Bessie. Come on, Robbie. Almost done. Just a little further, then you can rest again…" Stephanie gently drags him along. Robbie can't help but wonder whether this still is the same happy, careless, stubborn girl he used to know anymore…

But he can't wonder for long.

With a shocked gasp, his right hand darts to his chest and he collapses on the ground again, impossible for the child to catch before he hits it right in front of the bed.

"Robbie!"


	75. Time!?

It feels like someone or something is holding and squeezing his lungs in a vice like grip.

Breathing appears to be impossible.

And he didn't know what it feels like when your heart…starts to panic because of lack of oxygen.

It's something entirely different from when you panic, yourself.

It's more violent.

Almost like a silent promise of a very slow and painful suffocation…

He barely registers the two voices, calling his name.

Close by and yet impossibly far away.

He barely registers getting lifted and placed on the bed.

He barely registers _anything_ anymore.

Whose hard, shallow panting is that?

Whose hand is helplessly flailing around in the air, obviously searching for something to hold on to until it gets caught, hold, and reassuringly squeezed by two smaller hands?…

"…Robbie! Robbie Rotten! Talk to us! What is wrong??" Stephanie reflexively pushes the villain's hand she's holding in her owns down onto his hectically raising chest as well, next to his other one. She can see that he got trouble breathing, but she doesn't know why. Is he overstrained? But the man doesn't even seem to react on anything she does or says…

"Bessie! We need to do something!"

"I can tell. But what? I'm no doctor!" the woman looks at the girl sitting at the edge of the bed with the trembling, seemingly internally convulsing villain on it. Then she grabs the rucksack the two brought along and starts to rummage through it "Did he get that before? Did Sportacus say anything?"

"No! He almost collapsed, but…not like this!" with growing desperation, the girl tries to remember what the hero did earlier to calm his friend down again and hesitatingly raises one hand to carefully cup Robbie's hot cheek now. Her voice, unlike before, calm and low now, not trying with all might to raise above the noise of the panicky panting coming from the other "…Robbie, it's all right… Look at me. Please. Try to focus…"

The felf's eyes keep darting around the room pointlessly and his breathing doesn't steady either.

But…either Stephanie is mistaken, or he just very weakly squeezed her hand!

It's as good as nothing.

But even that has to be enough sometimes…

"It's gonna be all right, Robbie. Remember what Sportacus said?! You're strong! Just hold on!" the girl swallows hard, squeezes his hand again and softly strokes his cheek with her thumb, just like she's seen Sportacus doing it, and like her uncle comforted her when she was sick "…I'm sure, this will be over, soon…"

"…St… Steph…" the word is nothing but a barely audible whisper, but even Bessie hears it and looks up from the bag. Stephanie can't help a relieved smile and squeezes his hand again "I'm here! It's gonna be okay, Robbie! Just…"

"…Sporta…cus…" Robbie's eyes shortly meet hers, before they start to flutter shut and open again and again, his voice broken and audible strained while his breathing comes in very weak, slow intervals now "…Hurts… Where's…Sporta… Promised me…not to…leave me…"

"He didn't leave you, Robbie. He'll be here soon! Just hold on until then! Okay?!" Stephanie strokes his cheek again and tries to think of any encouraging words.

But it feels as if her usual positive nature has left her…

"…Too…much… Can't… Don't want you…to…see me…like… Sportacus… Please…" his trembling increases again, but his eyes barely reopen now after they've fallen shut again "…Need…you… Save…me…"

Then Robbie's body suddenly falls limp and his eyes shut completely…

 

 

"…Why don't you finally get it over with?!"

All facades have been dropped.

Sportacus is glaring at the other elf with openly displayed anger and hatred now.

Nine laughs out "Oh, but I'm already on it, young one!" he closes his hand around the great crystal and puts it safely into the small box at the front of his belt, before returning the glare just as intensely, his voice lowered to a dangerous hiss " _You_ started this game, Sportacus! Hide and seek. Now we're playing! And I'm _long_ not done yet!" he suddenly takes a step back "Guys. We're leaving."

Sportacus is completely taken aback, but unable to reply anything when he now watches the two security guards turn to head for the door while his precursor flashes him another wicked smile "I've waited _years_ for this. Now I'm going to enjoy it! Rotten will pay for his stupid schemes, I had to undergo when I was hero here. And when I'm done with him, I'll take him back where he belongs since the accident of his birth happened! And _you_ better not try to stop me, _Ten_ , otherwise you'll get your sentence for treachery!"

"He's been a _child_ back then! And you have no right to harm him in any way! This is against the rules! He…"

"He's a **_felf_**! None of our rules include these bastard species! There's only **_one_** rule for handling them: all's fair!" with this he turns around as well, but before he disappears through the door, he calls over his shoulder "It's about time for you to pick a side, Sportacus. Time's running out. For the both of you…"


	76. Risk!?

He can't go and check on the felf.

Although his heart aches and _screams_ at him to head for the library as fast as anyhow possible to be with Robbie again.

To protect him.

To see and feel him while holding him in his arms, never letting go again…

But he _can't_!

His fear that Nine and his guards would follow him if he did is far too great.

He can't risk handing him over to the dangerous elf like that, just because his emotions for Robbie push him to it…

He's shaking.

Trembling with fear, anger, desperation and hatred.

And somehow he doesn't manage to calm down again.

On the contrary.

With each passing minute it gets harder for him to not attack the wall of his airship again.

Why did this have to happen?!

Why did he have to yell at his crystal?!

Why did Robbie had to try to help him fix it?!

Why did it suddenly react on the fact that Robbie is a felf, although he touched it several times before without anything happening to him?…

Sadly, the hero knows the answer to all of these questions.

Even to the last one: As long as these barrier, the felf created himself, in his head was still there, blocking the truth about his real family out, Robbie's elven magic was locked up behind this wall as well. At least his magic was completely fairy until the moment this wall started to crumble. That's also the reason for his urgent release of all this pent-up energy in that other night.

But now that Robbie's two kinds of magic are both freely fluent inside his body, he's completely felf.

And so is his magic 'signature' Nine even recognized on the devastated land.

Sportacus' crystal…or better his _half_ of the crystal recognized this as well, even before, when Robbie tried to touch it, and set this alarm of that Nine mentioned…

If only Sportacus would've known all this before!

But he never realized how _little_ he _actually_ knows about the life, security and hero system of the elves he's been trained and working for his entire life…

He thought that they'd only do _good_!

That they get trained to _help_ and _protect_!

_Everybody!_

But the truth becomes clearer and clearer to him now…

 _Felves_ aren't like _everybody_.

They're _nothing_ but a _threat_!

They're _uncontrollable_ and _unstable_ in their power.

And if they don't get _stopped_ , before they develop their full magic they'll also become _unstoppable_ and a danger for every living creature on this planet!

And to protect the peace and safety _all's fair_!…

His fists collide with the wall.

_Excuses!_

Nothing but old _stories_ , based on the fear of few!

According to the Elders there isn't even such a thing as an 'individual felf'!

They're all just one _race_ which needs to be erased because it's dangerous!…

The wall has two deep dents now.

Dizzy and sobbing, Sportacus turns around, falls back against the wall and slowly slides down on it until he's sitting, his legs hugged to his chest, his face buried between his knees.

Robbie isn't dangerous. He would never purposefully hurt anybody. He's just a little careless and imprudent at the most, what sometimes leads to slightly dangerous or uncomfortable results. But he doesn't know any better. How could he?! He was on his own since the age of fourteen and with by himself manipulated memories that his family hated him. Of course he grew careless and lonely and thought that nobody would ever love him. But he's no threat! The felf is sensitive and fragile and easily scared, especially that he could do something wrong.

And now he's additionally terrified of his own powers.

Yet, _Nine_ claims that he's a dangerous threat for the entire world!…

"…Oh, Robbie…" Sportacus wipes the tears from his cheeks and swallows hard while reaching for the mobile phone in his pocket "…I wish you were here…"

He looks at his hands for a moment, studying the forming bruises caused by his boxing against the hard wall. Robbie would've hindered him to go this far. He did so before…

A steadying inhale, then he calls Bessie.

One minute passes.

One minute, during which Sportacus grows more and more scared and nervous.

But then the call finally gets answered.

"…Yeah?…"

"Stephanie!" the hero doesn't know whether to be relieved that someone finally picked up, or even more concerned because of the girl's low, audibly stressed voice "Stephanie, what's wrong? Why do you have Bessie's phone?"

"She's gone to fetch something and left it with me… Sportacus, where are you?"

"Still in my airship. Why…"

"You need to come here!"

"I…can't…"

"You _have to_!" exclaims the child desperately "Robbie… He needs you!"

"I wish I could! But…if I come to you now they will follow me and…arrest Robbie…" Sportacus' voice breaks at the mere thought of what Nine would _really_ do to his friend…

"Can't you…sneak out of there without them noticing?"

"The risk is too high. I don't want to…endanger him…"

"You have to take it, though! Please!"

"…Stephanie…"

"Robbie collapsed."

Silence.

The hero feels an ice cold shiver running down his spine and he starts to tremble violently again.

"Sportacus? Are you still there?"

"…Y-Yes… H-How…is he?… What happened? Why…"

"He suddenly clutched his chest and seemed to have trouble breathing. He was panicky for a few minutes and…called for you… Then he…fell unconscious…" she swallows audibly "…He's…calmer now and breathes more or less normal, I guess… But…he's whimpering… I think…he's still in pain… And he's having a temperature and won't wake up. Bessie is gone to fetch some tea and a damp cloth…"

Sportacus clenches his free hand into a fist "…When… When did this…start?…"

"About twenty minutes ago… I wanted to call you, but…"

"No, it's good that you didn't. My…supervisors have been here until a few minutes ago…" the elf pulls the hat off his head and runs his hand through his hair.

That's what Nine meant. He's able to torture Robbie due to his connection with the crystal. If he uses magic on this, the felf experiences the consequences…

"…Stephanie… I want to come over, but…it's too dangerous…"

"But you're the only one who can help him now! He needs you _here_! We can't call a doctor, but you helped him before, right?!"

"That was…different…"

"How?"

"I…can't explain this now…" Sportacus rubs his eyes.

His brain is working feverishly.

Is Nine going to kill Robbie with the power of the crystal? No… He said that he's going to enjoy this…game for a longer time… So he's actually planning to let Robbie suffer before taking him back to Iceland?! And he's waiting for Sportacus to make a wrong move that will give away the felf's location…

So he mustn't go, otherwise he'd play right into Nine's hands!

But…Stephanie is right as well. If he doesn't go to help Robbie soon, this is probably going to turn out just as bad for his friend. His body is still far too weakened to be able to cope with many more collapses and panic or pain attacks…

Sportacus has no choice.

He has to make a decision.

Now.

"…Okay…" a slow exhale "Stephanie, listen…"


	77. Disgrace!?

"Oh my, Sportacus, I'm so glad that you're here now! We really didn't know what to do with him anymore!"

"Please, not so loud, Mayor. I came as fast as I could. Where is he?"

"Oh, yes! Sorry! I'm just so excited!… Oh. This way, this way! Follow me…" Milford Meanswell hurriedly enters the building and the hero follows him while the other explains audibly desperate "It has become even worse! We have no idea what to do anymore! You're the only one who can help!"

"Well… Actually I fear it's more up to himself now…"

"Oh dear…"

"Don't worry. I'll try my best to support him, though, of course!"

"Thank goodness," the mayor exhales relieved and stops in front of a door "He's in th-"

"Ha!"

Sportacus and Milford both get startled at this sudden exclaim and turn around in shock. "…Nine…" the hero's voice breaks "What…are you doing here?…"

"Oh, come on, Sportacus. Did you _really_ think that you could outsmart me?! Your poor attempt to sneak out of your airship was a disgrace for the training you absolved at home!" Nine shakes his head, on his lips a wicked smile when he steps past the two other men towards the door "And I'm also a bit surprised, Mayor. I wouldn't have thought that you'd help to hide a criminal!"

"Uhm… Hide a criminal?…" Milford looks truly taken aback "Oh my… He sure is…a little…annoying sometimes… But I wouldn't go so far as to call him…a villain…"

"Nine. I guess you're mistaken there…" Sportacus smiles weakly "I already told you…"

"What you _told_ me was a lie! Obviously! Or how are you going to explain _this_ to…" the older elf pushes the door open "…m…"

"Mine! I said, that's **_mine_** , Trixie!"

"For the last time, Stingy, it's **_not_**!"

"What the…" Nine winces back and stares at the bunch of kids, yelling and running around between several boxes.

"The town got a new delivery of stamps and the kids always help to sort them to look at the pictures, I guess," Sportacus steps next to the other elf, his arms folded, on his lips a small smile.

"And Stingy tends to sort them to take them away sometimes. Well… Most of the times, actually…" the mayor sighs "Sportacus is the only one who is able to talk him out of this…"

Nine glares at both of them, the triumphing smile vanished from his face. Then he steps inside the room and looks around. The kids don't really notice him, they're far too busy ranting at each other. Sportacus and Milford exchange a short glance and when Nine returns to the door, they look at him questioningly.

"Are you looking for something…specific? Perhaps we could help?" offers the mayor friendly. "Robbie Rotten!"

"…Who?… Oh! My, I haven't heard that name in a while! Well… I'm sorry, if I have to disappoint you, but he left the town years ago. We haven't heard of him since then…"

Nine opens his mouth. But then he changes his mind, turns at Sportacus and takes the crystal out of his pocket, holding it up, he hisses lowly "I _will_ find him! Even if I have to follow his _screams_!" with this, he closes his hands around the stone in a vice like grip and storms past the hero to talk to one of his security guards who nods and takes a position close to the door which now falls shut while Nine and the other elf leave the town hall again…

The mayor and the hero exchange another glance, then they look at the children who haven't interrupted their yelling, but are focused on the two grownups with expecting gazes. Sportacus smiles broadly and shows a thumb up, before picking up the act for possible audience again "Stingy, come on now. Think about it. How could someone send you mail if _you_ keep all the stamps for yourself."

"You mean… _I_ wouldn't get any letters?!"

"Yes."

"Huh! That's… Let sort them! Quick, quick! Sportacus, you help us!"

"Okay…" the hero nods approving and they gather around one of the boxes with the stamps, lowering their voices to a whisper "That was great, guys! Thank you!"

"Yes, _my_ plan was pretty good, wasn't it?!"

"Oh, Stingy, cut it out now!" Trixie rolls her eyes "It was _Sportacus'_ plan!"

"Puh! But I was the most important part of it!"

"Stingy…"

"Guys," interrupts the hero lowly, before they start a _real_ fight now "All of you were great! Especially you, Mayor! I honestly wasn't sure whether…he'd buy it…"

"Oh my! And I wouldn't have thought that I could act like that!" Milford exhales sharply "Usually, something always goes wrong…"

"This time it mustn't!" Ziggy determinedly shakes his head "Stephanie said that this is the most important mission we've ever been on! Right, Mayor!?"

"Indeed it is," Sportacus can't keep his voice from breaking "And I'm incredibly glad that all of you came here at once when Stephanie called you! Without you, this wouldn't have worked out! …Pixel, did you bring it?"

"Sure thing, Sportacus!"

"But Sportacus…" Milford Meanswell suddenly tugs at the hero's arm, his gaze worried "This plan got you in town for a good reason that actually convinced this…Nine, but…you can't leave this room without them noticing, can you?!"

"Oh yes, he can!" with a broad grin, Pixel opens his rucksack and takes a, for everyone here, well familiar looking device out…


	78. Sugar!?

"Excuse me, Mister. I was wondering whether you'd like a cup of tea perhaps?"

"Me? Oh… I…shouldn't… I mean…"

"Oh, don't worry, I won't tell your boss!" with a friendly wink, Mayor Meanswell offers the guard a cup of tea.

"Thanks," the other man accepts it with a light insecure smile and is about to take a sip when he suddenly hesitates "Uhm… There's no…sugar in it, is there?…"

"No. But I can get you some, if you like?"

"No, no! Thanks! I…rather drink it…undiluted…"

"All right then. I better go back inside and help the kids and Sportacus. Enjoy," with a smile the mayor heads back into the room, closing the door behind him. He gets greeted by four thumbs up.

"That was really great, Mayor!"

"Oh my, thank you, Pixel…" Milford sighs just as lowly as the boy spoke and steps to the four kids again "Now it's up to Sportacus…"

 

Not a sound.

That's more or less the only thing Sportacus has to take care of now.

Not making a single sound…and preferably not accidentally bumping into anything.

Until now their plan worked out perfectly.

Nine fell for the trick in the town hall and Sportacus has a plausible reason to spend some time in town. More precisely, in the room with the stamps, along with the kids and the mayor.

But he isn't in this room now anymore of course.

Thank God, Pixel kept his blueprints for the Zapper!

After Stephanie's call it was a matter of minutes until he had constructed two of them, brought one to the library and took the other along to the town hall where he met the other kids.

And thank God, the mayor actually becomes a quite good actor if really absolutely necessary. The way he distracted the guard with the tea to have a good reason to open the door so the now invisible Sportacus could slip past them without the elf noticing was truly impressive.

Once out of the windowless room, the hero easily found an open window to jump through and has now almost reached the library.

His heart is beating up to his throat. And not just out of nervousness and the fear to get caught after all. No, out of excitement to finally see Robbie again and out of fear to may not be able to help him.

Was it really just this early morning that he and Robbie had to part? It feels like days to him…

There's the open window!

Within seconds Sportacus is inside the library, quickly looks around and follows the way between the many bookshelves Stephanie has described to him over the phone…

 

"I'll go and get new water. Be right back," Bessie leaves the door open and hurries away, a bowl with some water in her hands.

"Okay, Bessie. I…"

"…Steph…"

The girl's attention is complete with the whimpering man in the bed again at once "Shush. It's okay, Robbie. I won't go…"

"…Sport…acus… Where…" he interrupts himself with a weak cough and tightens his grip on the sheets beneath him.

"He'll be here soon! Don't worry, he'll help you! He always knows what to do!" she carefully takes one of his hands in her own and squeezes it gently, murmuring more to herself "…If I'd only know why you feel even worse again now…"

"…I…m-miss him…" a lonely tear runs down the felf's cheek "…I miss him…so much…"

Sportacus swallows hard and closely suppresses a sob. He has been standing in the open door since Bessie left and couldn't help but watch the scene, unable to bring himself to interrupt for different reasons.

One of them is his emotion at seeing how his best friend and the man he loves treat each other. There appears to be a natural trust between them already…

Another reason is Robbie's appearance. If Sportacus thought that he looked sick and exhausted during the time he spent at his airship then he's now facing merely a ghost of this man. Whatever Nine does to him with this crystal, he won't be able to cope with it much longer that's for sure…

He gently knocks at the door, struggling to keep his voice steady "Stephanie, I'm here…"

"Sportacus!" the child jumps up, grabs the second Zapper from the small table next to the bed and immediately lets the hero reappear, before hugging him quickly "Oh Sportacus, I'm so glad you're finally here!" then she pulls him to the bed "Robbie woke up again a few minutes ago, but he's feeling even worse now! And he's in pain!"

"…Silly…girl… Told you…not to worry about me…Pinky…" mumbles the villain weakly, before he looks at the hero and his feverish and dull eyes brighten up the tiniest bit "…You're…there…"

"Robbie," Sportacus quickly takes Stephanie's place at the edge of the bed and grabs the felf's shaking hand with what he's reaching out for him, with his other he gently cups the villain's hot cheek "Oh, Robbie, what are you doing…"

"…Not…much… I'm…lazier…than ever…right now…" replies the other with a very weak smile, before his body suddenly tenses up and his breathing starts going in shallow gasps while his grip on Sportacus' hand and the bed sheets tighten.

"Robbie?!"

"He got that before," the fear in Stephanie's voice is audible "And the first time he had this he wanted me to leave. I didn't want to, but Bessie told me to go and get another pillow… The second time it happened, I insisted on staying… "

Sportacus has listened to her while already carefully putting Robbie's small waistcoat off, murmuring soothingly "Easy, Robbie. Breathe. Deep breaths. I know it hurts, but you have to take deep, slow breaths. Okay?"

"Sp-Sporta…"

"Sh. No talking now. Focus on breathing. I'm here now, I won't let anything happen to you. Trust me," he searches the felf's scared gaze and lovingly strokes his cheek. A very weak nod, followed by a shaking inhale and a low whimper during the exhale.

"There you go. Just like that. Keep breathing. Stephanie?"

"Yes?"

"Can you support his back while I take of his shirt? I need to check his chest and it's too tight and makes it even harder for him to breathe…"

The girl nods and quickly stands next to the head of the bed, helping the panting friend to sit up and keep him from falling back while Sportacus carefully pulls the top over his head.

"…His fever is getting worse…" Stephanie looks over the felf's shoulder and notices the lines on his chest "…I didn't know they went that high… Weren't they…blue?…"

"Yes…" the hero swallows hard and watches his boyfriend's gaze precisely when he now very gently rests his hand on the middle of his chest where the, now black lines meet. At once, Robbie winces and tries to move away from the hand under a low cry of obvious agony. But Stephanie is keeping the weak man in place, her expression worried and sympathizing "…Oh, Robbie…"

"Shush…" the elf pulls his hand back, placing it on his friend's shoulder instead, and searches his eyes "Robbie, I know it sounds impossible, but you have to relax."

A very weak shaking of his head.

He can't.

Not this time.

Sportacus forces himself to stay calm. After a moment of hard thinking, he looks at the child again "Stephanie, go and tell Bessie that I need a sugar solution. And if she can get it anywhere, a syringe as well. As quick as possible."

"…Sugar and a syringe?… What…"

"I'll explain it later. Please, hurry up."

"Okay," she gently pats Robbie's back again then she dashes off. The hero looks at the door for a split second then he meets the felf's confused and scared gaze. He doesn't feel able to answer on his friend's mute question at once, so he carefully moves to sit behind his back now instead like he used to most of the time in the airship, pulling Robbie against his chest, embracing him in a protective but loose enough manner from behind to give him space to continue his struggle to breathe. His hands are gently caressing the felf's stomach and he lovingly presses their cheeks together, trying to spend as much comfort and closeness as possible.

After some minutes Robbie still doesn't relax, but shaking rests his hands on Sportacus', knowing that he doesn't need them to keep himself upright anymore.

"…Nine got my crystal and because you're connected to it since you touched it he can control the energy of it that's stuck inside you now. It's part of a…programmed self-defense of the crystal…" a tear drops out of the hero's eye onto the felf's shoulder "I didn't know that before… I'm so sorry, Robbie. All this is my fault. I should've…"

A very weak squeeze of his hands "…Stop it…Sportaflop… It's…not…" a hard inhale "…I'm just…g-glad…that you…came here…before…" he breaks up. An ice cold shiver runs down the hero's spine "…Is that…why you sent Stephanie away before? Because you think you'd…"

"…Wasn't that…your reason…as well?…"

"No! Robbie!" Sportacus reflexively tightens his hug a little, shocked by the mere thought of this "I promised you, I will protect you! And I need these items, because that's the only thing I can think of how to help you now! Not because…" he tenses up.

"…Okay… Okay… Calm down…" Robbie turns his head to place a weak kiss on the elf's cheek.

The next second he pays for this short interruption of his relentless struggle to get enough air with a heavy gasp and his body going rigid.

"Hush. Easy. In and out, Robbie. In…and out…" the hero gently starts massaging his hands, trying to distract his friend from the pain while adapting his own breathing to Robbie's, hoping to comfort and support him in his unsteady rhythm like this.

Another few minutes pass like this, the room filled with the sounds of nothing but heavy, painful and unsteady breathing and some weak whimpers.

"…I'm so…tired…" Robbie swallows hard. His eyes are closed and sweat is running down from his forehead.

"…I know…" Sportacus softly kisses his neck while breathing on "…And I'm so proud of you. You're holding on so great, Robbie. You're so strong, although I know that you believe otherwise… But what you've already been through…"

"…Nine… If he…finds out about…"

"Don't worry about him now. Just focus on yourself."

"But you…said…that he controls…your crystal…" Robbie's voice breaks even now, although it's low and weak "…We can't do…anything…"

"Yes, we can. _You_ can, Robbie," Sportacus kisses the side of his neck again, hoping that his friend won't notice his trembling over his own "…But therefore, you have to regain some strength first…"


	79. Emotions!?

"…And they…did all that…for…me?…" tears stream down the felf's face and his low sobs make breathing harder again.

"Sh… Of course they did, Robbie…" Sportacus gently rocks the crying man in his arms. He just finished his story of how well all of them worked together to help the hero get here. And now the beloved town villain is overwhelmed by emotion while Stephanie is visibly beaming with pride of her uncle. She returned with the bowl of water a few minutes ago while Bessie is gone to get the supplies Sportacus asked for.

Now the girl is sitting at the edge of the bed, dunks the cloth in the bowl with water and gently dabs the sweat from Robbie's forehead, smiling soothingly "I told you we'd find a way to get you two together again. And that we would do everything for you as well, Robbie. Anytime you need us! …Now all you've got to do to repay us is getting fit again as quick as possible!"

The felf forces a weak smile "…I'll…do my best… But…I gotta warn you… I'm…known for…disappointing people…"

"Robbie," rebukes the hero at once softly and runs a hand through the tousled, black hair "Don't say things like that. You've never disappointed me before."

"…Maybe…because you never…expected anything from me…" the villain swallows hard and fixes his eyes on the elf's hands, resting on his own and his stomach. Sportacus feels another shiver running down his spine. He's not that concerned about Robbie's usual negative thoughts about himself, but about the way he can sense the energy fading from the felf. He's already too weakened to force himself to keep up the act that he believes everything will turn out alright again…

"…Stephanie, would you do me a favor and check what books about medical science you got in the library? They might be useful…"

The girl, still a little confused and sad about the villain's words, nods once and carefully places the damp cloth on Robbie's forehead, before leaving the room a little reluctantly.

She's barely gone and probably out of earshot, the felf suddenly doubles over and starts to cough violently, his whole body shaking and convulsing with the effort. The damp cloth landing somewhere on the bed.

"Easy, Robbie! Easy…" Sportacus isn't shocked. He's been expecting this in a way. He could sense that his friend tried to suppress something during the last few minutes with what little strength he got left, because he doesn't want Stephanie to see him like this. He doesn't want to scare her. That's why the hero now sent her away with a task, so Robbie could drop the facade.

And he does.

"…I… I can't…take this…much longer…" the felf gets shaken through by more and more cramps, erupting from his lungs as it seems. His body twists in several different ways, trying to find a position in which breathing might be a little easier and less painful.

A hopeless search…

And Sportacus is still sitting behind his back, supporting him no matter which way he turns next, stroking soothingly over his heated skin to remind him that he's still there for him, but leaving him enough space to move. He doesn't reply anything on this statement this time, knowing that his friend needs no encouraging words now that may sound like an attempt to play his suffering down…

Finally, after several minutes, Robbie stills, lying on his side, his head in the hero's lap, his knees pulled up to his chest, his hands closed around one of his boyfriend's, his fingers digging into his skin, his eyes fixed straight ahead onto an imaginary point. His breathing comes in shallow gasps and then and now a low, pitiful groan escapes his slightly parted lips.

How much longer can a body cope with stress like this? Even if it's a felvish one…

With his free hand Sportacus caresses the villain's face or strokes through his hair.

Neither of them speaks.

"…I love you…"

Sportacus nearly winces at these sudden, low words and freezes in his move for a split second. But then he swallows hard and rasps "…I love you, too… More than anything."

"…It's my fault…"

"…What?…"

"…We…could've been happy…together sooner…if I wasn't such a…" he weakly shakes his head and his grip on the hero's hand weakens as well "…I'm sorry…"

"That's nonsense," in return, Sportacus tightens his grip a little and his other hand moves to gently wipe the lonely tear off the villain's cheek "I could've been braver, myself, and told you about the butterflies in my stomach each time you smiled at me…"

"…I rarely did…"

"More often than you think," for some reason the hero's throat grows tight "Robbie, you still don't know how great you are… But I'll show you! …I'll show you…" a low sob escapes his lungs. A very weak smile washes over the felf's face "…You know… I've been thinking… If…all this is over…and I'm actually still…alive and you…want to spend more time with me… We'd have to find a compromise between…your sports…and my…laziness… I'd…agree to…uhm…dance with you more often, if you agreed to…take a day off once in a while…perhaps when it rains…and we could…I don't know…stay in bed, cuddle or watch a movie or whatever…" his voice breaks a little at the end "…I'm sorry… That…probably sounds stupid…"

For an answer Sportacus bows down and places a long, soft kiss on his friend's temple, before lovingly smiling down on him, tears of emotion in his eyes "Not at all! It sounds fantastic! …But not…' _if_ '. _When_ all this is over. And you _will_ survive this, Robbie, and then we'll spend every single day together! I swear to you, nobody will ever kill you as long as I'm there! And Nine will _pay_ for what he's doing to you! I've got enough of whatever 'elvish codex' he's living after! This is _my_ town! And _you_ are _my_ boyfriend! And whoever won't accept that either leaves voluntarily…or will get _kicked out_!…"


	80. Inject!?

"…I…would've never thought that you above all people would use… _sugar_ to help him regain strength…" Stephanie tilts her head and watches how the hero prepares an injection with the sugar solution Bessie brought.

The woman is standing next to her, still staring at the, a few minutes ago, dozed off Robbie on the bed. Or more precisely, on the dark blue lines on his chest. Stephanie doesn't really dare to ask why they're blue again out of a sudden. But she noticed that Robbie is much calmer and in less pain now that they are…

"…That's because…Robbie is…special… He actually _needs_ this kind of sugar. Just like I need Sportscandy…" replies Sportacus in the same low voice while gently snipping against the syringe "…I just hope it will actually work…" he sits back down on the edge of the bed and gently but a little reluctantly strokes the felf's cheek, whispering "…Robbie…"

"Hm…" the villain groans lowly, but blinking opens his eyes, looking around a little confused for a moment while reflexively pressing his face closer into the touch.

"Hey… It's okay…" the hero smiles softly "I'm sorry, I had to wake you up, but…"

At this moment the felf suddenly shrinks together and sits up, nearly losing his balance during this, but manages to press himself as close to the wall on the opposite side of the bed as possible, his eyes wide with what can only be described as sheer panic.

"Hey, hey! Easy, Robbie! What…" Sportacus cuts himself off when he realizes what Robbie's gaze is fixed on "It's okay, Robbie. This will only help you to regain some strength. And it won't hurt…much, I swear!"

The other wildly shakes his head and he's gasping for air once more.

But for a different reason this time, the hero can tell.

His friend's thoughts aren't in the here and now in this moment. There are somewhere…trapped in memories…

Before the elf can think of anything to say, Stephanie is quicker once more "I hate injections, too. They sting… Everybody says that it's just for a short moment, but that's enough to hate them!" she gives the villain a sympathizing smile and carefully takes a step closer to the bed.

Robbie blinks slowly.

The girl's words somehow ripped him out of his shock.

"…That's not…it…" he swallows hard and his body starts to tremble too much to hold it upright much longer without any support, so he shuffles laboriously until he's sitting cross-legged, leaned against the wall and stares down onto his shaking, marked hands, mumbling "…I just…had a very…unpleasant experience with injections once when I was a kid…"

Silence.

Robbie glances up and notices surprised the shocked expression on the hero's face.

"…I… I didn't know that… I'm so sorry, Robbie! If…"

"Oh, stop apologizing. I know just as well as everybody else here that this is stupid," the felf clenches his hands into fists and looks away again. Sportacus opens his mouth to assure him of the opposite…

"Oh, what a nonsense!" exclaims Bessie suddenly so loud, the three others get startled, but then she smiles gently "I'm afraid of spiders. And yet, here in this area, there's hardly a reason for _that_!"

"She's right, Robbie…" Sportacus carefully hands the woman the full injection with a thankful nod, before he hesitatingly shuffles closer to his friend "I already told you there's absolute no reason to be ashamed of your fear…" he slowly reaches out with his hand "…Tell us what happened…"

For a few seconds Robbie just stares at the offered hand, but then he hesitatingly puts his own into it and watches how the hero now very gently starts running his fingers along the inside of his arm.

The touch of the lines has stopped hurting as well, once they regained a part of their original color again…

"…I got a vaccination… I don't even remember for what… But it…didn't go well… My body…reacted to it…in unpredictable ways…" his eyes shortly move up to meet the hero's and to see by the look in them that he thinks, just like the felf does now, that this was because of his nonhuman nature "…It was…pretty bad… I had to stay in bed for several weeks… I could barely eat or drink anything without getting sick… It just… It wasn't nice… Since then I…dislike injections…and doctors in general…" he blushes very weakly, but since he's currently so unhealthy pale, this shade of red looks even more adorable on him.

At least that's what the hero can't help but think about for good ten seconds now, before he pulls himself together and replies softly "That's completely understandable. Really. But…"

He doesn't have to finish. Robbie is already nodding weakly "Do what you think is necessary. I trust you, Sportacus."

These words _still_ get to the hero like just very few things do…

But despite his pride and slight relief, he though notices the way the felf's other hand is digging into the sheets again and without thinking about it much he looks at the child and asks lowly "Stephanie, could you maybe…hold his hand? This might help him relax a little…"

"That's ridiculous," protests Robbie at once weakly "I don't need…"

"You'll get it, though!" interrupts Stephanie with a broad smirk and has already climbed into the bed next to him, before the felf can think of another contradiction. His mouth closes at the same moment as the child's hand grabs his own tightly and squeezes it soothingly. The villain can't help a moved smile, but only until Bessie hands Sportacus the germicide and he gently cleans the spot he's been feeling for the whole time.

The moment Sportacus takes the injection into his hand, Robbie's breathing hitches again and he struggles to keep himself from trying to pull his arm back. The hero notices this of course and murmurs softly "…Look at Stephanie, Robbie, not at your arm. Focus on her. This will be over within a split second. I promise…"


	81. Bye!?

"…I can't stay much longer…" murmurs Sportacus lowly and places another kiss on Robbie's black hair.

They're alone in the small hideout room now. Bessie and Stephanie left them to rest and talk for a while in private once it became clear that the sugar solution actually helped Robbie a lot. The lines on his chest and arms are of a bright blue now and his breathing goes evenly and strong. His body is relaxed, almost slack in the hero's arms and his eyes are closed. He's sitting between Sportacus' legs, his still bare upper body is leaning sideways against the elf's chest and his hands are loosely holding on to his friend's arm which is wrapped around him in the usual protective manner.

They've been sitting and cuddling like this for about half an hour already and after Sportacus has told Robbie everything that has happened since they had to part, everything has been pleasantly peaceful.

But now Robbie reacts on the hero's remark with a frown and a low growl "You can't _leave_ , you mean."

"Robbie…"

"I need you here!" he tightens his grip on his protector's arm and swallows hard "…I… I need you…"

"Hey…" Sportacus lovingly nuzzles his face into the black hair and murmurs "You're safe here. And not alone. Stephanie and Bessie are already arranging that…"

"I'm no baby. I can stay alone! I've been alone most of my life!" growls the felf angrily and sits up, pushing himself away from the hero, although every nerve and every cell in his body screams at him to stop acting proud and just hold on to the other as tight as anyhow possible.

"I know. And that's the reason why we won't leave you alone now anymore," replies Sportacus softly but also sadly.

"I'm sorry!" at once, tears force their way into the felf's eyes and he quickly leans forward and hugs his savior again, burying his face into his shoulder "I have no right to yell at you like this!… It's just… The truth is…I am afraid of being alone at the moment… Now that I know what it feels like to be around people who actually care for me I…don't want to…lose this again… I'm sorry. I'm childish…"

"Nonsense. You are not," with a light smile the hero starts caressing the felf's back "You're still sick and having a temperature. It's natural to want somebody you trust around then. Even for grownups."

"…But…I want _you_ around…" mumbles the villain lowly.

"I know… And I'd give everything so I could stay here. But Nine…"

"We can't keep up with this hide and seek forever. We need to do something against Nine!" Robbie's voice breaks a little and he feels a tingle of fear and excitement in his chest.

"Robbie, you've been here for not even eight hours… Besides, _you_ do nothing but rest and recover! It's too dangerous for you to face Nine!"

"Then what is your plan? He knows what I am and he hates me for personal reasons as well. He won't listen to your explanations of what a 'nice person' I am."

"I don't…have a plan…yet…" admits the hero with a light blush. Robbie pulls back once more, folds his arms and tilts his head "No plan?…"

"…Yet…" Sportacus lowers his eyes "…To be honest… Until now, my only concern was about how I could get to you unseen and whether I'd be able to help you…"

"Well, both targets archived. Although I wonder why this sugar actually seems to work…"

"The fairy part of you was low on energy. And you needed this urgently to smother the crystal's power I guess…"

"But…I didn't…do anything…"

"Your body knows what it has to do by itself I guess. You only have to let it. That's another reason why you have to stay here where you're safe and under as little other stress as possible right now," he reaches out to lovingly cup and stroke the felf's cheek "And I need to know that you're out of Nine's reach. As long as you're here and at least for the moment more or less resistant to his manipulation of the power of the crystal I can think about a plan to get rid of him."

"Don't you dare think about endangering yourself by attacking him or anything! They're three, you're on your own!"

"…I know… And the elders would send someone else at worst…" Sportacus sighs lowly. Robbie eyes him "…You're…desperate…aren't you?…"

"I won't let you down."

"That's out of question and not what I meant. You don't know what to do…and…you're angry…" suddenly, without interrupting their eye contact, the felf takes one of the hero's hands in his own and gently runs his fingers over the colorful bruises "…Have you really thought I didn't notice? I may have been in a quite desolate state, but the moment you entered and took my hand I already saw them…"

Sportacus doesn't feel able to reply anything, he just swallows hard.

"…The wall of the airship again?…" Robbie carefully starts feeling the hand, still searching his friend's eyes "…It's not broken, is it!?…"

No answer.

"Sportacus?"

"…I… No… No," he carefully grabs Robbie's hand now and squeezes it soothingly.

"Okay…" the felf doesn't know why, but this touch feels different than before out of a sudden "…Please… Be more careful next time. No matter that you're angry, you need to take care of yourself… I'm not around to save you from yourself after all…" a weak smile "…My… Listen to this. Is that really me talking?!"

Sportacus returns the smile just as weakly "…I'll try… And yes, it is… Thank you."

"For what? Until now I caused nothing but trouble…" the villain sighs sadly "…Even more so unintentionally now…"

Instead of a verbal answer, Sportacus suddenly bows forward and presses their lips together in a deep, passionate kiss.

Overwhelmed and a little confused Robbie returns the kiss reflexively, and seconds later both their eyes fall shut and their breathing speeds up a little.

There's absolutely no logical reason for this now, and yet, this kiss appears to be the _only_ logical thing right now to Robbie.

They're carefully holding and kissing each other for several minutes until Sportacus finally pulls back again and Robbie can't help a low, desperate whimper. He knows what this means…

"I… I gotta go…" out of a sudden there's a huge lump in Sportacus' throat and he swallows once more, trying to fight back the upcoming tears. Robbie nods weakly and whispers shaking "…I…really hope that this wasn't…supposed to be a…goodbye kiss…" he doesn't fight his tears and gives the hero a frightened look. The elf has already jumped out of the bed, but now he bows down to his boyfriend once more and places another soft kiss on his lips, before replying lowly "I'll be back this evening. I'm going to take the Zapper of Pixel along to my airship, then I can sneak out easily again. I promise, I'll be back. I won't leave you alone tonight!" he lovingly caresses the still slightly heated cheek again and looks deep into the felf's eyes "Never forget. I love you, Robbie…"


	82. Mate!?

"…Your…lines are turning darker again…"

"…Mhm…"

"Robbie?" Stephanie gently nudges his arm "Are you all right?"

The felf blinks slowly "…Yeah… Sure… Is it…my turn already?…" he looks down on the chessboard placed on a tray between them on the bed.

After Sportacus left, the girl must've noticed how depressed Robbie was and insisted on playing a game to distract him. So the villain finally agreed on teaching her chess. He was a little surprised to realize what a quick learner the child is and although she hasn't managed to defeat him yet while he's playing easy parties, resisting to make some slightly mean moves and his thoughts are elsewhere most of the time anyway, she doesn't give up on trying and is still cheerful, congratulating Robbie after each victory and listening carefully to his tips.

She's really doing everything to distract him from his sad thoughts and he is incredibly thankful for this, but…

"Yeah, for like ten minutes," she giggles.

"Hm?… Oh. Right…" he blushes a little, realizing that this was the answer on his question, and sighs lowly "…I'm sorry, Steph… I fear I'm even worse company than usual right now…" he checks the board for a few seconds and makes his move then he absently starts rubbing his chest.

"Nonsense. You're great company! And I understand that you're worried… Besides, I needed three minutes until I realized that I was already checkmate last time!" she laughs, but then she furrows her brows in concern and gestures at his chest "…Does it start to hurt again?…"

"…It's…more of an itch…" the felf knows what this means. Nine is trying to torture him again. But luckily, his body, and especially his felvish magic is strong enough to fight this and suppress most of the crystal's power, thanks to the sugar solution. At least for the moment…

"You know what? If you win this round, I'm gonna give you your first dancing lesson! How do you like that idea?" he smiles, determined to give something nice back to her after everything she's done for him today. It might also help to take the edge off his own thoughts a little…

Stephanie opens her mouth to express her happiness, but then she hesitates and replies carefully "…But…Sportacus told you to rest…"

"Yeah, but it's hard to rest if your mind won't stop suggesting possible scenarios about what these men could do…" his nose wiggles a little, but then he quickly forces a mischievous grin on his lips "…Besides…it's not like you actually stand a chance against me, right?! So I very likely won't have to get up anyway…"

Stephanie starts smirking now as well "I know that's just a trick now, but okay… But don't let me win purposefully!"

"Promised," he laughs softly, reaches out and they shake hands.

Not even twenty minutes later, Robbie is checkmate.

"Oh well, that's it. The student beats her master," he smiles.

Never before losing felt so good.

The girl folds her arms and tilts her head "You _did_ let me win, didn't you!?"

"Nope," he stands up from the bed and offers her his hand with a friendly smile "You did very well. I'm impressed. Although I have to admit that my thoughts truly have been elsewhere the past few minutes…" his other hand shortly rubs over his chest again "…and like this, I didn't pay enough attention to your horse. You earned this victory, Pink Girl. Now come and claim your prize," he does a small bow. Stephanie laughs, takes his offered hand, jumps up and suddenly hugs him tightly but carefully. Robbie, still not really used to so much affection, stiffens a little shocked, before he relaxes again and hesitatingly returns the embrace for a short while.

But the longer it lasts, the more difficult it becomes for him to fight against his tears and the wish for feeling Sportacus' strong arms wrapped around him again…

Finally he can't take this anymore, gently pushes the girl off and clears his throat "Hrm! Yeah… Well, first lesson is about dancing space. We both got our own and it shall not be invaded by the other… Um… Have you ever seen the movie 'Diddy Dancin''?"

Stephanie shakes her head no. Robbie smiles "Well, as a dancer, that's definitely a must to know! We'll do something about that as soon as all this is over… But for now, listen closely…"

 

 

Sportacus feels like he's doing something forbidden.

And well, it's true in a way…

But he though is angry with himself for feeling this way.

He's sneaking around invisible like a thief at 8:15 to get to his boyfriend without Nine and his men noticing as if he'd be the main character of a cheap love story!

It would be ridiculous, if it wasn't so sad…and dangerous…

The library gets in sight.

Sportacus looks around several times again, before he finally enters through the window again. It's unnecessary of course, but he can't help the uneasy feeling in his stomach…

When he finally reaches the secret room he can already hear Bessie's muffled voice "…I'm sure, he's all right, Robbie. Don't worry about him, he'll be here soon…"

"Everybody always believes that he'll be okay just because he's Sportacus! But this Nine is dangerous! If he finds out that Sportacus is helping to hide me… I don't even dare to think about…" the exited voice breaks up.

"Robbie? Are you all right?!"

Quickly, the hero opens the secret door and sees the felf sitting on the edge of the bed, slightly bend over, nodding with closed eyes while taking deep, labored breaths. Bessie is standing in front of him, bowed down to search his gaze, but when she notices the door is open but she can't see anybody she asks partly hopefully, partly scared "Sportacus? Is that you?"

The elf doesn't have time to reply anything, because Robbie has already jumped up, surprisingly fast and within a blink he's hugging his boyfriend tightly, completely following his instinct by his guess where he must be standing. A little shocked the hero returns the embrace carefully, sensing how badly the other is shaking "…Robbie… What is wrong? Didn't you rest?…"

"I was so scared! I… I thought that…anything happened to you…" sobs the villain lowly, tightening his embrace even more. Bessie smiles softly, but then she quickly grabs the Zapper "Careful, you two."

The next second Sportacus is visible again. But Robbie's almost hysteric sobbing only increases.

"…Robbie… Hey… Calm down… I'm there now…" he soothingly runs his hands over the felf's tensed, bare back and looks at Bessie, hoping to get an explanation for his friend's behavior. But she shrugs helplessly "Stephanie said that he's been a little depressed the whole time already, since you left. It only got slightly better during their dancing lesson… But since she had to go home to sleep it got worse and worse… I'm sorry, I couldn't really calm him down again…"

"It's okay, it's not your fault. Thank you for staying here until I was able to return. Maybe you should get some sleep now as well. I'll stay with him during the night…"

"All right. But in case you need help, the mobile phone is lying on the table…"

"Thank you, Bessie. I really wouldn't have known what to do without you and the others today! You're all heroes! Honestly."

Another soft smile "It's the least we could do for you. And for Robbie as well… Goodnight."

"Goodnight, Bessie," he smiles as well and Robbie mumbles a weak "…Night…" into his shoulder.

Once the woman is gone, Sportacus carefully picks Robbie up and carries him back to the bed where he gently lays him down, before climbing in next to him. Now he's sitting and looking down on his boyfriend, studying his body precisely and noticing the slightly darker lines again "…Are you in pain?…"

"…Don't go…" Robbie grabs his hand and looks at him with pleading eyes.

"I came to stay for the night, Robbie. I won't go before tomorrow morning. Try to calm down now. You need to sleep. But first I'd like to give you another injection so you won't fall too weak again overnight…"

"…You stay…" the felf's eyes are glassy and he feels hot to touch again. For some reason his condition got worse again within a short time, but Sportacus has absolutely no idea why…

"I stay," he smiles softly and lovingly strokes his cheek, before carefully freeing his other hand out of his friend's grip. At once the felf whimpers lowly and tries to get a hold on it again.

"Sh… It's okay, Robbie. I won't go. But I have to prepare the injection for you…"

"…I…know…" murmurs Robbie after a few seconds lowly and blinks, his eyes a little clearer again now and he swallows hard "…I'm…sorry… I was just…so afraid… So afraid…that he could…hurt you…because of me…"

Sportacus looks at him for a few seconds. He could tell him now that Nine only wants to hurt _Robbie_ , and that, even if anything would happen to the hero, it wouldn't be the felf's fault…

But he decides against this.

Instead, he gently cups the felf's cheeks and says softly "Everything will become all right again, Love. I promise," then Sportacus leans down and seals Robbie's lips with his own.


	83. Ice!?

Something is wrong.

That's the feeling that rips Sportacus out of his light sleep.

The very same second, his senses are all active again, he already notices the empty space in the bed next to him.

"Robbie!" his call is low but frightened beyond limits when he jumps up "Robbie!" His first instinct to call for light gets stuck in his throat, not because of the realization that he isn't in his airship, but because of a weak glow coming from the other edge of the small room. "…Robbie?…" slowly, he approaches the strange glowing which appears to become stronger with each passing second until it's bright enough, and Sportacus is close enough to see his friend all clear.

The felf is huddled on the ground, shivering violently, with his head leaned against the wall behind his back. His breathing is coming in short gasps. The fingernails of is left hand are scratching over the floor while his right hand is pressed hard onto his own, still bare chest.

The hero feels an ice cold shiver running down his spine when he realizes that the strange, red glowing is coming right from Robbie's right palm.

What is going on?…

"…Robbie…" he carefully crouches down in front of his friend and hesitatingly reaches out with his hand to touch the villain's arm "…Robbie, can you hear me?…"

"…F-Freezing…fire… Burning…ice…" comes a low whimper, but then the other opens his feverish, glassy eyes and looks at the hero "…I-I'm…sorry… It's…too much… And it's…different…than before… I can't…do this…anymore…" tears gather in his eyes and he's sobbing now "I just **_can't_**!"

"Sh! Easy! Look at me, Robbie. Give me your hands."

A weak shaking of his head "…Don't…touch me… It's too…dangerous…"

"No. You are _not_ dangerous, Robbie. Get this thought out of your head!" carefully but determinedly Sportacus gets hold of the felf's right wrist and gently pries it away from his chest, despite the other's weak attempt to push him off again.

The next moment he winces "Robbie! What…"

"…Told you…it's different now… All day…it was suffocating me…now…it's…freezing…my lungs… My blood… I had to…burn the ice…away…" his shivering increases and he looks down on the dark red burn mark and the black lines on his chest, mumbling as if in trance "…Burning…ice…"

"R-Robbie…that… Why didn't you wake me?!? For God's sake!" the elf's voice breaks and the grip on the felf's hand with the also dark red palm tightens involuntarily. He isn't sure what he's feeling right now. But one thing is certain…

"…You're angry with me…" more tears stream down Robbie's face and he suddenly throws his head back with such force it collides with the wall.

Badly.

"Robbie!" shocked, Sportacus stares at him for a split second.

But long enough for Robbie to repeat this.

Only when the felf intends to injure himself a third time, the hero is able to move again and his hand darts to cover the back of his head, shielding it from the next collision with the hard wall.

But too late.

He can already feel blood trickling between his fingers, tangled in the black hair…

"…Robbie…" Sportacus looks his friend in the eyes, knowing that his own reflect dozens of questions now.

Why did he do that?

What is going on?

What does that repeated metaphor mean?…

But he pushes these questions away, just as his instinct to yell at and rebuke his friend.

Instead, he suddenly notices his own tears and whispers lowly "…Don't… Don't do that…" and then his voice becomes more pressing "Don't do that! I'm **_there_**! I'm here **_for you_**! **_Don't do that! Ever!_** " then he pulls him into a tight embrace, his fingers still running through the bloody hair "…I'm not angry with you… This isn't your fault… But **_please_** …don't hurt yourself… Let me help you…"


	84. Heat!?

Robbie is staring straight ahead into nothing for over half an hour already.

He didn't even flinch once when Sportacus had cleaned and bandaged up the small gash on the back of his head after turning on a small lamp on the bedside table.

Taking the shocked, confused felf back to the bed wasn't as easy as one might think…

When the hero carefully freed himself from their embrace and got up from the floor, Robbie had some kind of seizure.

He suddenly started to scream, arms flailing as if he tried to blindly reach for somebody's hand, calling for his mother…

But the moment Sportacus quickly picked him up and held him close again, kissing his hair, mumbling soothing encouragements, he fell mute again and didn't utter a single word more, not even when he got sat on the bed, propped up by pillows…

Since then he's just staring and shaking…

"…Robbie…" Sportacus carefully sits down cross-legged in front of his friend, trying to search his eyes, his voice soft but audibly worried "Robbie, we have to do something against your burns or they'll start to hurt…"

A minute or two pass…then the villain blinks slowly and, even slower, shakes his head once. His voice sounds strangely broken and absent "…They already…do… But it…distracts me… It helps against the ice…"

"Robbie… Love," the hero very gently takes both of the felf's hands in his own "There is no ice. Whatever you're feeling there isn't real. That's the power of the crystal. It's controlling your nerves. You neither were suffocating before. It just _felt_ like that. And Nine probably changes the magic he uses on the crystal now, so you won't be able to adjust to any form of pain or fear… There is no ice, only your cramping muscles and the blockade, keeping you from feeling the heat of your own body…" He pauses and waits for any reaction of his friend. But Robbie's eyes remain as glassy and yet cold as before. So he finally sees no other way. He slowly bows down and plants a very gentle kiss on the felf's chest, right on the place where he burnt himself with his own energy. He can still sense the heat against his lips. But what's far more important is the heavy shudder that suddenly rushes through the felf's body, followed by a low, long whine. He quickly pulls back again and searches his friend's gaze "Robbie?!?"


	85. Leak!?

Hot.

Sportacus' kiss just felt hot.

But…it didn't hurt like when he used his own energy…

It felt…good…

But…at the same time…it was incredibly unsettling for some reason…

He felt…frightened…

"…Robbie…" gentle hands come up to cup the felf's hot, tear-wet cheeks, followed by an almost panicky voice "Robbie, talk to me! Did I hurt you?? Are you in pain???"

His friend is desperate and worried. That's obvious, even for Robbie's dazzled, exhausted brain.

So, he isn't sure after how long exactly, but finally, he manages a very weak shaking of his head.

"But you whined! Please, Robbie! If I did anything…"

"…It's not…what you did…" the felf swallows hard, trying to get some sort of system into his own confused thoughts and emotions, and, that's even harder, explain them to his rescuer "…It's…the whole situation… The absurdity of it all… I shouldn't be here… I don't belong in LazyTown…"

"What?!" the hero winces, but cups his cheeks a little tighter, intensifying his stare into his boyfriend's eyes "Robbie, you're understandably confused. Of course you belong here! You're a part of the heart of this town!"

"I'm endangering _every single one_ of you! And you're aware of that!"

"Nine would never harm any of the children. Don't worry about them…"

"But _you_!" Robbie shaking reaches up to weakly pry the hands away from his cheeks and lowers his eyes "…You'd do everything to help me…"

"Robbie…"

"Even _lie_ to me!"

Silence.

The only thing that can be heard for several seconds is the felf's heavy, labored breathing.

"…Robbie…" the hero's voice breaks "…I would…never lie to you…"

"…You already did…" murmurs the villain, blindly reaches out once more and trembling, ghostly runs his fingers over the left temple of his friend "…You said…my magic couldn't hurt you… That you'd…absorb it…" the tips of his fingers brush along the thin, lightly bleeding wound almost completely covered by a few hairs, and he can't suppress a low groan as if the touch inflicted himself immense pain.

"That scratch?! Robbie, that's just…"

" _Liar!_ " hisses the felf suddenly surprisingly strong and sharp and he glares at the elf, his own body tensing up even more when finally he's able to fully understand the picture in his mind "That's no scratch! It's an energy wound! You're not mainly losing blood through it, but your magic energy!" his hands grab the sheets and tears shoot into his eyes "I-It happened…when you…just had to calm me…before carrying me to the bed…" if anyhow possible, his face pales even more "…I…hit you with a spark of uncontrolled magic…"

Sportacus just stares at him, unable to reply anything. But his eyes talk volumes…

"…How…" when he finally musters the strength for an answer it sounds raspy and unbelieving "…How did you…"

He stops, when he suddenly realizes something.

His folk is scared…terrified of felves and their magic abilities… They're thought to be the most powerful creatures of the world even…

And no matter the fact that Robbie is just developing his own full powers now, after understanding his true nature, nor that he's weakened and sickly…his senses, though, are more than precise.

Obviously.

He sensed the magic leaking from Sportacus' head once he was close enough to him during the kiss and he realized at once when the injury must've happened…

There's no way of talking Robbie out of the truth now, Sportacus knows this just too well…

"…Go…" the felf's voice barely beats the heavy silence of the small room, but when he looks up to stand his boyfriend's gaze again, he clenches his hands into fists and his eyes start to gleam almost dangerously " ** _Go!_** "


	86. Lie!?

" ** _I said go!!!_** "

The pillow flies through the air once more and hits Sportacus' head, causing his hat to fall off.

The hero neither reacts on this, nor the third thrown pillow. He's too shocked about the way Robbie is pressing himself into the corner where the bed is standing against the wall.

Throwing pillows, crying, yelling at him to leave…

But on the other hand…he was expecting a similar reaction once Robbie found out the truth.

Of course he shouldn't have lied to him in the first place. But he had no other option. Robbie would've left the safety of his airship, if he thought himself a danger even for the hero and negated his offer of help and very likely broken down somewhere all alone then and…died… And…Sportacus didn't lie completely. He's still entirely sure that Robbie is no danger. Neither for him, nor the kids. No. The only person he's a danger for…is himself…

The attack with the pillows has stopped because the villain ran out of munition.

Now he's huddled in the corner, sobbing lowly, trying to pull the blanket over his head. Due to his heavy tremor and the fact that Sportacus is still sitting on one of its ends rather unsuccessfully…

He wants to hide, to block out reality and return to the time they both spent together in the airship when Robbie was sick but they didn't know what he _is_ yet… Everything was just so much easier then… He just wants to be with the elf, not caring what either of them is. He just wants to be happy for a few minutes…

"…I won't go…"

This sentence felt like a stab right into the felf's heart. His grip on the blanket tightens reflexively and his breathing and heartbeat speed up, but he doesn't manage to look the hero into the eyes "…You have to…"

"Robbie…"

" **I could _kill_ you!**" yells the felf desperately and winces at the second sting in his heart.

"That is nonsense! Robbie, I **_love_** you!" Sportacus skids a little closer "The only thing that would be your fault and could kill me is being apart from you for too long, fearing for your safety!"

" ** _Stay where you are!_** " the villain is in sheer panic now, he doesn't even register what his boyfriend has just said at this moment " ** _Go!!!_** "

"…I can't…possibly do both, right?!…" Sportacus tries a small smile. He doesn't know how, but his only chance to keep the felf from getting a heart attack is to somehow get through this panic and remind him of his strength and intelligence.

"Robbie, no matter how powerful you might be, as long as you learn how to control it…" the sentence gets stuck in his throat and his voice breaks when he whispers shocked "…Don't… God, Robbie, please, **_dont_**!"

"…I-I…thought…I wasn't dangerous…" the felf swallows hard, his right hand is surprisingly steady now that it's resting on his left chest side…

"You aren't! But… Robbie, **_please_**!…"

" ** _Stop lying!_** " tears stream down the felf's cheeks and he senses the magic tingling in the right palm of his hand.

The solution for all of his problems appears so close and clear out of a sudden…

" ** _Stop lying, Spartacus!!!_** "


	87. Trick!?

"…What… What should I tell the kids, hm?" Sportacus' voice is shaking just as much as the rest of his body, but he isn't aware of it.

His eyes are glued to the felf's hand, still pressed on his left chest side.

The hero has barely more experience with magic than what he learned at school. But at this moment he can sense the magical tension in the air like he uses to feel the sunlight on his face. He knows instinctively that all it takes is _one_ too intense thought of Robbie…

"…You promised Stephanie more dancing lessons… What do you think how she'll react if…you break this promise…like…" he swallows hard and doesn't notice the tear running down his cheek "…like…this?… And what about…us?…" his vision blurs a little at the edges and he blinks a few times "I… I thought…you want to be together with me… I…thought…" his mouth opens and closes a few times in silence.

"Sportacus?" sniffs Robbie worriedly and wants to reach out to touch him, but he stops himself out of fear to hurt him even more "Sportacus, are you all right??"

The elf nods weakly, but subconsciously holds his head, his hands pressing onto the barely bleeding scratch "…I can't…lose you, Robbie… Please…" shaking he reaches out with his other hand "Don't…do this… I love you…" his upper body tips over a bit.

The felf doesn't think about it.

He grabs the hand and quickly skids over, supporting his friend's body, mumbling "I love you, too, you silly blue elf! But I'm… You _know_ what I am! We can't be…"

"…I lied to you…because I love you…" whispers the hero weakly and searches the other's eyes while it gets more and more difficult for him to keep his own open "…I needed to protect you…from yourself… But you're not…"

"Sportaflop, for _once_ in your heroic life try to think of yourself for five minutes now, okay!?" interrupts Robbie lowly but determined.

He honestly isn't sure whether all this isn't just a - very effective - trick of the hero now to keep him from…doing whatever he just threatened to do…

But he isn't going to take any chances.

If his senses are correct, Sportacus is still losing magical energy through this harmless appearing scratch on his head.

…What…the felf is responsible for…

No!

Focus, Robbie Rotten!

"…Lay down… Careful…" very gently, the villain eases the other down onto the bed, regretting to have thrown the pillows around before "Listen… I… You know that I know nothing about any of this! I can only assume that you're losing energy… What… What shall I do? How can I stop this??" he tries to sound calm, but it feels like the whole world is coming to crash down on him now.

The thoughts in his mind are yelling at him, twirling around as if they're caught in a heavy storm…

Not even three minutes ago he thought about picking the cowardly, presumably easiest way for himself…

Now his every thought is to make sure his friend…his _love_ is all right…

"…I don't…know…" Sportacus swallows hard but manages a very weak smile while looking up into the felf's face hovering close above his own "…You look…beautiful…even from this position…"

Out of a sudden Robbie's throat is completely dry, and he rasps "You… You're…worse than I am… Damn it, Sportaflop, focus! Tell me what I have to do! Because I _know_ that _you_ know!"

"…First…you've to…promise me something…"

"Anything. Now tell me what…"

"Promise…to never…attempt to…kill yourself again…" the hero's gaze becomes begging.

That's blackmailing.

Robbie is aware of that.

And yes, all this could actually be a trick.

It wouldn't even be the hero's first one, obviously.

But…Robbie also notices that the elf's breathing comes shallower with every new inhale.

He's losing energy.

And quick.

Although the bleeding has already stopped. But…one thing got nothing to do with the other. The felf knows that…because he can _sense_ the energy fading from his boyfriend…

"Yes… Okay. I promise! I won't! Now _tell_ me!" he cups Sportacus cheek, searching his uncharacteristic dull eyes. A weak smile "…Good… I know…I can…rely on your word…"

"Sportacus!" Robbie's voice breaks with angry desperation. It costs the hero visibly a lot of power which he barely got left now, but he finally weakly takes Robbie's hand from his cheek and guides it up to rest it on the scratch instead.

"No!" reflexively the felf tries to pull it back. But the other holds on to it with his last bit of strength, pressing the felf's fingers down on the wound "Think about…what you wanna do… Just like…when we trained and you released your energy… It's okay…"

"No!" Robbie wildly shakes his head "No, it's **_not_**! I **_did_** this to you! With my magic! I can't…"

"Yes, you can. You're…the only one who…can…" Sportacus takes another shallow breath in and swallows hard, looking his boyfriend deep into the eyes "I trust you, Robbie. Please…just once…trust yourself…"

Tears are streaming down the felf's face by now, and once more his imagination offers him dozens of possible scenarios what could happen now, if he isn't able to control his magic…

But he also knows that he just got rid of something firing up these fears even more: a choice.

So Robbie takes a deep breath in and closes his eyes…


	88. Scar!?

He sighs lowly and nuzzles himself closer to the warm body next to him.

What a horrible nightmare he had! Nine was…

With a jerk Robbie sits up in the bed, feeling a hot wave of fear shooting through him when he remembers that this was no dream at all.

Hectically he looks down on Sportacus who's still sleeping peacefully, a very mild, apparently exhausted smile on his lips.

He remembers falling asleep, completely exhausted himself, after spending a great amount of his own energy on healing his friend's magical injury… But before he did, he managed to cover them both with the blanket which is now hanging a little wryly mostly on Sportacus' stomach and legs. The hero must've dozen off even during the treatment, due to the leaking energy…

An ice cold shiver runs down the felf's spine and he trembles badly when he very carefully brushes a few hairs out of his friend's face to look at the scratch he had to seal with magic that night.

Soon he can't hold back a low sigh of relief, because all that's left is a very light scar and he can sense absolute no more magic leaking from the hero's body. Though, his fingers are still shaking when he very carefully brushes over it.

A scar…

Already…

It's barely noticeable, if you're not explicitly looking for it, but…

"…I'm so sorry…" a tear rolls down the villain's cheek and drops onto…the hero's open hand. Robbie winces "Sportacus?…"

"Don't cry…" with a soft smile the elf raises his hand in which he just caught the tear and cups his friend's cheek, gently stroking it with his thumb "…I don't like to see you cry, if it's not because of happiness…"

"I'm sorry… I… Did I…wake you?…" instinctively Robbie wants to pull back and get into a distance that he considers more secure for the other. But the hero is quicker, carefully grabs one of the felf's wrists and pulls him down so the surprised man is more or less leaning on Sportacus' chest now, their faces mere centimeters apart. For a few seconds they just stare into each other's eyes.

Then the hero barely noticeably shakes his head "…No… You didn't…" his hand moves up to gently stroke through the villain's black hair now "…How are you feeling? What about the…ice in your chest?"

A pause.

"I… I nearly **_killed_** you! Stop asking how **_I_ ** am!" exclaims the felf frustrated and wants to sit up. But at this moment, strong arms wrap around him entirely and finally pull him down completely. They're not as strong as they used to be, but it's obvious that Sportacus will recover completely again soon. He probably just needs some Sportscandy…

"Stop saying that. You did not. The crystal's foreign magic is setting your body out of balance. That's why your mood and your condition is changing so drastically at the moment. You're understandably confused. But what happened wasn't your fault," contradicts the elf surprisingly stern, before his gaze softens again and his voice becomes proud "…But you _did_ save me. That was _you_ , Robbie. You. Nobody else."

Robbie is looking into his blue, gentle eyes and feels his heartbeat slowing down again.

He swallows hard "…It… It still hurts… But…I barely notice it anymore… What… What about…you?…"

"I'm just a little exhausted, but nothing hurts. Robbie…" his voice trails off.

He isn't sure why he just said his friend's name. He can't think of anything to reply to the fact that the other still is in pain, but somehow capable of suppressing it now as it seems…

When he keeps staring into his boyfriend's grey, questioning, still worried eyes, he does the only thing his mind is sure will be right at this moment. He places one of his hands into the other's neck and pulls him down even further so he can kiss him.

Robbie tenses up.

He's still afraid to hurt the elf, knowing that in his still weakened condition another injury like last night might become fatal…

But each time he tries to pull back the hero follows him and tightens his grip a little. And each time his friend tries to break free, his thumb also gently caresses one of the sensitive spots on the felf's neck.

Soon Robbie's little resistance melts away, just like the felf himself and he closes his eyes, giving in to the kiss, returning it eagerly after a few minutes…

"…Sportacus…" gasps Robbie a little breathless when they finally part to catch some air, and lowers his eyes "…What happened last night… It could happen again…"

"Robbie," the hero gently cups his cheeks again "Once we defeated Nine and freed you of the magic of the crystal, you'll easily be in full control of your power again and then…"

"…Not…that I…hurt you… I… I mean…" his nose wiggles nervously "…I mean…what I…threatened to do…" he slowly sits up. This time the hero lets him and props himself up on his elbows as well, looking at him with a soft expression. The felf stares down onto his hands and swallows hard, pushing himself to mumble weakly "…That wasn't…because of the crystal… Not mainly… I… Sportacus…" he forces himself to stand the hero's gaze again "…I know what I promised you, but… You don't know what my life was like before… Before you showed up… It's not that…I want to…die… Not…like…" he runs his hands through his hair, before helplessly flailing his arms in the air "I never really thought about killing myself until last night! But…I neither really cared what happened to me… I… I guess I…wanted you out of town again…because you…you somehow…took away…my carelessness… With your mere presence in this town… You cared… And for me you were the first person to ever actually do that… And that felt so foreign and so…wrong…" the villain weakly shakes his head "…The more time passed…the less I could bring myself to think about losing this wrong feeling again… It sounds weird, I know… But…fighting you…was the first joy I felt…since my first years in school I guess… Before Nine came along…" tears shoot into his eyes "But now I'm a danger for you! And killing myself just felt so… _right_! I… I'm so _sorry_! I just…still feel like everybody would be better off _without_ me…" he can't stand the elf's shocked gaze any longer and buries his face into his hands, sobbing almost hysterically.

Sportacus needs a moment to gather his thoughts and take a steadying breath in, himself. Then he sits up and very gently wraps his arms around the other "…Hey… Shush… It's okay… No… That's stupid. Of course it's not okay… But it _will_ be. I'll help you…" he places a soft kiss on the felf's cheek "…I'll help you keep your promise…"

Robbie very weakly shakes his head and mumbles "…No… You've got enough problems already… I just… I simply have to remember this promise…as often as possible…" now he nods, more to himself "…I can do that… I only have to focus…"

"Robbie. We're a couple, remember? No matter how many 'problems' I'll ever have, you'll always be my first priority!" Sportacus pulls him even closer "You're not alone anymore. Those times are over. Once and for all."

The felf takes a stuttering breath in, opening his mouth to remark that, no matter how much they love each other, he simply doesn't feel _able_ to be a proper partner for the sport-elf.

At least not in the current circumstances…

But before Robbie can get out a single word…

"Morning."


	89. Uncovered!?

The two men get startled heavily.

But when Sportacus already starts to relax again, Robbie takes him completely by surprise.

He nearly jumps his boyfriend, pushing him down onto his back on the bed, calling "Let me go! I swear to you, if you don't let me go right away, I'll kill you!"

The hero stares up to him, completely awestruck for a few seconds.

Then it hits him what the other is trying to do.

"Robbie, stop. That's…"

"Stop trying to get on my good side, Sporta _freak_! I don't have one!" growls the felf with convincingly acted hatred while continue to push the elf down as softly as he can, afraid to hurt him, although this thought may appear ridiculous, considering their body strengths…

But even just the acting causes a pain in his chest, worse than what Nine did to him before…

"No, Robbie! That's _Stephanie_!"

The villain freezes.

His eyes widen "Stepha…" shocked, he lets himself fall onto his side and stares at the girl. She's still standing in the open door, in her hands a tray with plates of food on it, and a bright but confused smile on her face "Hi! What…are you two doing?"

Robbie opens and closes his mouth a few times, still too shocked to even think about an answer.

"…Uhm… We were…playing… Sort of…" Sportacus sits up and laughs, blushing a little.

"Oh. Did I…disturb you?…"

"No! No, no… It's okay! We…uhm…" at this moment, the hero regrets a little that he's so bad at lying to the kids. But luckily, Robbie, almost ghostly pale by now, finally pulls himself together and explains surprisingly calm "Actually it wasn't a real game. The guy I'm hiding from… I'm scared of him, Steph, you know that. And…I had a pretty bad nightmare so…Sportacus…convinced me to take some self-defense lessons from him… It turned out this is easier for me if I…tell myself I'm a bad guy… That's why I was just yelling at him like this," he smiles weakly "So no, you didn't disturb us. I'm exhausted already, anyway…" and with a short side glance at the hero he adds "…And Sportaflop could really use some of that…nasty Sportscandy I guess…"

The elf gives him a thankful, loving, but also slightly sad look…

"That's great! Because I brought you breakfast!" the girl walks over to the table to place the tray on it "Sportacus, the grapes and apples are for you. Robbie, my uncle prepared some muesli for you. There are some raisins in it. But it's very sweet, don't worry!" she takes a step back and looks at the two men sitting on the bed. Then she tilts her head "…Sportacus…"

"Yes?"

"…Uhm…" the child smiles lightly and shyly points at his head "…I've…never seen you without your hat before…"

Once again this early morning the two men get a shock.

Then Robbie buries his face in his hand and groans lowly "…Oh no…"

"What…" the hero stops when he becomes aware of the problem and instinctively covers his ears with his hands, stuttering "…Oh… I… Uhm… That's… I…" He looks at Robbie, silently begging for help again. The felf looks at him, then at Stephanie and slowly shakes his head "No. Enough with the lying and hiding… I'm sorry, but I just…can't do that anymore…" he reaches out to gently pry the hero's hands away from his ears and holds them in his own, smiling weakly "…Stephanie deserves to know the truth…"

"…Yeah, but…"

"Sportacus," Robbie gently cups his cheek "You said that you don't believe in everything they told you at your school anymore… And you've broken so many of your rules already. Mainly for me… Let's break the most stupid one…" he gently nuzzles his nose against the elf's cheek now as well, glancing at Stephanie again who's still looking at them with obvious interest, then murmurs "…Tell her…what we are…"


	90. Bad Luck!?

"…So… You two also were neither playing nor practicing when I arrived, right?…" Stephanie is sitting on the bed between her two friends and looks from one to the other.

Robbie who has just finished his muesli and now reaches out to put the empty bowl back on the tray shakes his head "No. I thought you were Nine. Stupid of me, yeah. I should've recognized your voice just as quick as Sportacus did, but…I guess the fear to get found by him simply made me terrified… And the only thing I could think about at this moment was to somehow try to protect our town hero at least…" his eyes move from the girl to his boyfriend who has just explained everything to Stephanie, including both of their childhoods and pasts, leading to the problem today, and his heart grows heavy.

The elf is still busy taking small bites of the apple, chewing slowly while his eyes are fixed on the fruit, giving away his sadness and desperation.

Robbie knows what is going on in his head right now.

He's thinking about the felf's strange attempt to let all this appear as if Sportacus had nothing to do with hiding him, and just found him, himself, to let Nine believe the elf wanted to fulfill his duty and hand the 'threat' over after all…

But although the hero is aware of the reason for his boyfriend's actions…he still doesn't know _why_ he did it.

Like… Didn't they promise each other to hold together, to stand up and at least _try_ to prove that Nine and the elders' point of view about stereotyping felves is _wrong_ in case they get caught without any other plan?

And though, Robbie just would've sacrificed himself for his boyfriend, if this was actually Nine who found their hideout…

Sportacus knows he shouldn't be surprised about this.

And he isn't.

But knowing that… Even getting a _proof_ like this…it hurts him.

It hurts, because Robbie must've thought that Sportacus would actually play along with his act and extradite him, just to save himself…

It hurts, because…if it _actually_ _had been_ Nine standing in that door…Sportacus would have had no idea what to do and how to save his friend…

And Robbie can read all this in his eyes when Sportacus finally senses his gaze, looks up and they just stare at each other for a few seconds…

"So you tried to pick up the act that you two are enemies instead of friends?"

"Hm?" the villain blinks in confusion and turns back to the girl again "…Yeah… Exactly…"

"Oh well, you should think of something else then," she shakes her head and chuckles.

"What? Why?"

"Because whoever sees you two together will _never_ believe that you're enemies!" the girl laughs and shrugs "During all these years, Sportacus and you never acted like enemies. It was obviously just a game for you as well. And most importantly, _you_ won't convince anybody that you're actually a bad guy, Robbie."

"Nine already believes this," the felf smiles sadly "That is the problem after all…"

"…No…" murmurs Sportacus suddenly lowly at this.

"No?" both, Stephanie and Robbie tilt their head.

"No," the hero slowly shakes his head "Nine doesn't actually believe you're bad… He _wants_ to believe it… He wants revenge… He wants to see you suffer… And this job is the perfect excuse for him to achieve all of these goals…" the hero is aware that these are hard words, but he finally understood that Stephanie is old enough to understand all this correctly. Robbie lowers his eyes, looking down at his hands. The pink girl furrows her brows "But what did Robbie do to make him this angry? His pranks as a kid can't possibly have been _that_ bad!"

"No, you're right. It's not Robbie's fault. His only 'mistake' was to be different than the others…" Sportacus' eyes move and lock with his boyfriend's "Nine didn't accept that. He doesn't believe in encouraging kids to move around, play and eat healthy. He believes in _forcing_ them to follow his instructions. And Robbie…was the only one brave enough to stand up against him. I've met Nine just a few times personally, but I realized right away that he's a guy who hates nothing more than not being fully respected. That's why he hates Robbie. Because _they_ are enemies since the very first day… And that Robbie is a felf only plays right into Nine's hands now…"

Robbie's nose starts to wiggle slightly. He knows just too well why his friend is so explicit about this now "…That doesn't change anything about the fact that you're in trouble now because of me. Or…because of what you did for me…" his eyes shortly move to the hero's new, but barely seeable injury and he swallows hard.

"Well… That's what Sportacus always does. I mean…by saving people he almost _always_ gets in trouble, himself…" Stephanie folds her arms and smirks at the villain "So there's nothing special about this situation now. Stop feeling bad about it. The only difference is that it's just a little more complicated than usually… But therefore, we'll _all_ work together this time and help Sportacus!" she jumps up from the bed and takes a firm stand right in front of Robbie, with her hands on her hips "Don't worry, Robbie! We won't let anybody take you away from us! Ever!" her smirk broadens a little "…Especially not from Sportacus!…"

Both men blush deeply at this and once more, Sportacus thinks this looks absolutely gorgeous on the felf's still far too pale face…

Stephanie smiles. She feels happy for her two friends, although she really doesn't understand why everything has to be so difficult for them now… But then again, everybody in LazyTown knows that Robbie's middle name is Bad Luck…

 

 

It simply becomes harder and harder to say goodbye to Robbie…

Sportacus feels strangely empty.

He doesn't even muster the will to do his usual flips while he's making his way to the airship. Invisible once again of course.

The look in the felf's eyes was heartbreaking, and not only because he's still worried about the, by the light magical loss last night, still slightly weakened hero…

Sportacus sighs mutely.

Being apart from his boyfriend simply feels unnatural to him. Especially in times like this when he needs to support him more than ever. But it just isn't possible. He has to go back to his home in case Nine is watching it or even gets the idea to want to talk to him again…

And he's already late.

They slept long, out of exhaustion, and telling the whole story to Stephanie during breakfast also took some time…

He smiles at this. He actually wasn't too surprised that the child took the news about the town hero being an elf and the town villain being a felf like any other news. Her only remark on Robbie's question whether she already knew this or why else she was so calm was the gentle reminder that they even have trolls in the close neighborhood… About which the felf truly had to laugh softly…

The hero sighs lowly and his thoughts drift off, to Robbie again…

The felf is so strong and yet so incredible vulnerable… Sportacus' protector instinct has always been strong, but when it comes to Robbie…even this appears to come to a new level. He's never before had the urge to just hold and shield somebody the whole time. If necessary until the end of their life… He'd do _anything_ for him. Yes, even leave LazyTown _forever_ , if that was his wish.

 _But_ , only if the felf would be safe! Not…in a situation like now…

But Robbie doesn't want that.

On the contrary.

He doesn't want to get saved.

He wants to…

Sportacus' thought breaks up when his airship comes in sight.

An ice cold shiver runs down his spine…


	91. Senses!?

"…I can't use my disguises, Steph, although the idea itself is good of course. But…" Robbie blushes a little and scratches his head "…You see… I wasn't aware of this before, myself, but I…use some of my fairy magic when I disguise myself… That's why you never recognized me…until something happened that was either too exhausting or pulled my focus away from keeping the illusion upright for too long… Actually that isn't even the only occasion when I make use of it I guess… It's strange, I really never noticed before…"

"Well, I guess when you're born like this, and nobody tells you that what or how you do something is different from when others do it, you can't know," the girl shrugs and smiles "How would you get the idea that you're a felf after all?"

"Yeah… You're probably right… However, I can't use any of my magic disguises, because if I got too close to Nine in this he'd very likely notice. He'd…sense the magic. I could as well carry around a sign with ' _FELF_ ' on it then," he laughs forcedly and folds his arms in front of his chest, but rather in an attempt to hold on to anything than to appear defensive. Stephanie eyes him for a moment. She still got so many questions, but she doesn't want to appear nosy or even accidentally offensive in any way, sensing that Robbie is rather sensitive at the moment and quite insecure about what she might think about his nature, although it was his idea to be completely honest with the child now.

But there's one thing she just can't help thinking about "…Robbie… Why did you think you're dangerous for us? You've always been a felf and had this magic in you, right?"

The man averts her eyes "Yes. But…I was more or less mostly fairy until a few days ago when I remembered what happened the night my adoptive parents left. Then my elvish magic returned as well and therefore I'm much more…powerful now… I can't…control this yet. I never learned how… I'm afraid to…hurt anybody accidentally…"

"But Sportacus is helping you to learn this now, isn't he?"

"Yes…" he lowers his eyes even more.

"Robbie," the pink girl folds her arms now as well and rebukes sternly "You gotta _let_ him!"

"But I could hurt _him_ as well during this! I… I already _did_ last night! When I was in pain again I didn't really…know what I was doing anymore and…" the lump in his throat has become too big to continue speaking because of this memory and he isn't able to fight the tears anymore. Stephanie feels bad at once for making him sad and takes a seat next to him on the bed, comfortingly pressing her arm against his "It's not your fault. I'm sure Sportacus already told you that."

The felf nods weakly and sniffs "But that only makes it even worse for me! It proves that Nine and the Elders are right! Sportacus just won't understand that… But maybe _you_ will. Steph, I… I'm out of control already! I can't control my power and I doubt that I'll ever learn to do it! It's just too much! And I'm too weak!"

"Sportacus obviously believes different," contradicts the girl firmly but softly and offers him another pink tissue which he accepts gladly with a very weak smile "And I do, too."

"But _I_ don't…"

"Maybe that's the problem."

Robbie looks at her, once again impressed by her serious and already very grownup way to take in new information and react on in…

Then his hand moves to his chest and he closes his eyes.

"Robbie!" Stephanie grabs his arm, looking worriedly at him "What is it?"

"…I… I'm not sure…" he swallows hard "…Something…is wrong…"

 

 

Nine is standing at the window, looking onto the devastated land behind the airship.

Sportacus easily slipped past the two guards, standing outside in front of the open door. But now he's standing inside his own home, staring at Nine's back, and feels like an intruder.

He swallows hard.

He doesn't know how he's supposed to get the Zapper out of the closet, sneak the, of course visible gadget, out of the airship again, use it on himself and return here to face the other elf…

Maybe he should just go back to the hideout and use the Zapper there. Nine knows that he's been gone, anyway…

Yes. That's definitely the more reasonable way. Why didn't he think about this before?!…

He knows why…

Because he's angry.

Furious.

The shock he got when he saw the guards in front of his ship lasted for only a few seconds. Then it got replaced by anger and hatred.

And by the urge to face Nine _at once_ and tell him what an asni…what a _kúkalabbi_ he is!

But his rage blinded him.

This is stupid.

And a huge mistake.

And no matter that this airship has been his home for so many years now, and _Nine_ is the _real_ intruder here now, he shouldn't have let himself get carried away like that.

But it's simply too much.

What he does to Robbie.

And now this and…

Sportacus shakes his head to himself. He has to calm down. He can't win this battle if he presses ahead without thinking, only pushed by his anger.

He turns around to leave.

"Door."

Sportacus freezes.

He feels as if his heart skips a beat when the door shuts right in front of him.

"You underestimate me, Sportacus. That's your second biggest mistake."

Slowly, the hero turns back and sees Nine still standing at the window, but now looking inside the airship…right at Sportacus.

In his hands, the Zapper.

The hero doesn't flinch when the other points it at him and activates it so he appears again.

He also doesn't bother to try to figure out how Nine knew he was here.

He just stares at the other and watches him approach.

"…Your biggest mistake…" the older elf stops mere centimeters in front of the hero, towering over the shorter man, sneering down on him "…is that you're still trying to cover this… _rotten_ felf…"

Sportacus glares up at him, unable to suppress his trembling of rage.

"…Robbie Rotten…" thoughtfully, Nine looks at the Zapper for a moment, before suddenly carelessly throwing it aside, taking out the crystal instead, slowly, almost affectionately rolling it between his index finger and thumb "I always knew that he was different, you know? All those nasty, stupid gadgets and inventions… Worse than just a lazy rebel!… And I also knew that you're _too soft_ to fulfill the task of catching him. But…I have to admit that you two actually managed to surprise me. _You_ 're even more pathetic than I imagined! And _he_ …" with an even meaner grin the elder raises his other hand and uses his pinkie to brush a few hairs out of the hero's face, revealing his new scar "…is obviously even more powerful than I hoped. When the other Elders see that he inflicted this kind of wound on one of our trained heroes they'll agree to my application of punishment at once!"

' _Slap_ '

He's breathing heavily.

His hand still risen.

The other clenched into a fist.

His eyes gleaming with disgust.

Slapping Nine's hand away was a pure reflex.

But it was enough to finally free Sportacus out of his shock.

"Leave. Robbie. _Alone._ "

Nine laughs out loud, head thrown back in his neck.

For solid two minutes.

But then he stops abruptly, threateningly glares at the other again and replies lowly "And if I don't?"


	92. Grownup!?

Sweat is running down his face, and lets his shirt stick to his chest already.

His eyes are half lidded and he's gasping for breath.

His body convulsing with each new hot wave of pain, rushing through it.

But he determinedly pushes himself up.

The hands, grabbing his arm are there even before he starts swaying.

"Robbie, don't!" calls Stephanie worriedly but softly and pushes him back onto the bed "You can't get up in this condition."

"S-Sportacus…" the felf attempts to roll out of the bed again, his vision blurry. Another pair of hands keeps him from getting up again. One of them comes up to feel his forehead.

"He's burning up…"

Vaguely Robbie figures that this voice belongs to Bessie.

Where does she come from out of a sudden? Or has she been here longer already and he just didn't notice her until now?…

Doesn't matter…

"Sporta-cus…" whimpers the felf once again weakly. He doesn't know what is going on, or why he feels that the urge to hurry after the hero and make sure that he's all right is even more violent than the pain raging through his body once more.

He just knows that something _is not right_!…

"We finally need to call a doctor. I really see no other way. This is getting too dangerous for him with a fever this high!" Bessie grabs her phone without removing her hand from Robbie's hot forehead. But Stephanie grabs her arm "No! We can't! That's what they want!"

"What they want? Who?"

"Nine and his men! We can't give away Robbie's location like this!" she looks at her friend who has just weakly grabbed her free hand, shaking his head very weakly "…And a doctor wouldn't be able to help him anyway…"

"Stephanie, I know you're worried, but _we_ surely can't do anything for him anymore…"

"…Steph… The…crystal…" rasps the villain suddenly barely audible and tugs at her hand "…Sportacus… He's…in trouble…"

"Oh no… Now he's delirious…" Bessie puts her phone away again and grabs the thermometer from the table to take his temperature. But the girl understands "…No… He's not… Bessie!" she firmly looks at the woman "Please, listen. Get my uncle and the other kids."

"But…"

"I'll stay with Robbie meanwhile. Please, just do it. I need them here!"

Bessie looks at the suffering villain again "…Stephanie, I'm not sure whether this is…a good idea… I mean…"

"…Do what…Steph…says…please…" interrupts Robbie weakly, still holding on to the girl's hand, but looking at the woman "…She's…a smart girl… And she got…a plan… That's more than…any of us can claim so far…" he smiles very weakly.

"All right," Bessie takes a calming breath in and hands the girl the thermometer "Call me immediately if his temperature gets any higher than this. And whatever we're doing, we need to do it _fast_."

Stephanie nods and when Bessie has left the room, Robbie weakly tugs at her hand once more and she sits down next to him.

"…Sportacus… You have to…make sure he's all right…"

"Why do you think he isn't?" the pink girl gently squeezes his hand and reaches out to take the damp cloth out of the bowl with water, placing it on Robbie's hot forehead.

"…I don't…know… It's just…a feeling…" he swallows hard and squeezes his eyes shut for a moment, mumbling "…If anything happens to him…"

"What about your pain? Is it different than what you got before?" she mainly wants to get his mind off of his concern for his boyfriend, but she also noticed a change in his demeanor each time the pain sets in. He whimpers lowly and nods "…It feels as if…it goes deeper this time… I… I don't know… It's not even just the pain, it's a…horrible feeling… Almost as if…" the felf breaks up, reminding himself that Stephanie is still a girl, no matter what.

He can't tell her that he feels as if his life is drained from him this time.

That the feeling of being suffocated even felt more pleasant, because it was a…normal feeling. A feeling that he could sort in.

But this now…

This is coming from deep within his very core now as it seems…

And he can sense that this is a fight he won't be able to win if anything doesn't happen soon…

"Maybe you need another injection?" Stephanie is smiling at him, forcedly hopeful. Robbie returns the smile weakly "I fear…it's more complicated than that this time, Steph…" he swallows hard, his smile starting to shake a little and a single tear runs down his cheek "Listen well now, Pinky… Whatever happens here…I want you to know that you're an incredible good dancer, and a wonderful young lady already. And I'm so happy…to be your friend now…" he notices a few tears rolling down the girl's cheeks now as well and his voice grows even softer "Hey… Don't cry, Stephanie. Everything will turn out all right again…"

"You don't believe in that."

"No…" he doesn't feel able to lie to her, not even now, but he gently squeezes her hand and winks "But you know me. And one of my most reliable characteristics is…that I'm always wrong…"


	93. Glitch!?

"…You don't actually think that I believe this nonsense, do you?!" Sportacus clenches his hands into fists and tries to calm his rapid heartbeat and shallow breathing.

He's glaring at Nine who's still standing in front of him.

The other shrugs carelessly and looks at the crystal in his hands with a bored expression "I don't really care what you believe or not. You're not part of my duty. The felf is. I just decided to give you a last chance to see the truth and remember _who_ you're indebted to…"

Sportacus shakes his head. More to himself. His voice sounds angry but also slightly confused "This doesn't even make any sense! At school they told us…"

"Oh, please! Of course they're still hundreds of felves out there! Humans aren't the only ones who can be weak and pathetic and 'fall in love' with the wrong person! And although most of these…glitches get reported soon enough so security can set in and keep even worse things from happening there are still some…parents who are too blind to see what danger their bastard child contains and try to hide it…or send it off… And for these cases we got special security persons. You might as well call them hunters. Their job is the most dangerous one out of all the 'hero duties'. And your parents surely were among the best of them…" Nine holds the crystal up against the light, blinding Sportacus with its reflecting shine, his voice becomes even more monotone "It's a shame. Everybody expected you to become just as good… But you didn't even make it to the upper class of heroes. You never had the guts to become a hunter," he laughs out "Just look at yourself! What would your father say, if he knew that you're…in love with his _prey_!?"

Sportacus winces and pales.

"What? Did you think I haven't noticed?! Oh, Sportacus…" with an acted pitying smile the Elder puts the crystal back into his pocket and folds his arms "You're as easy to read as an ordinary human. Maybe you've lived among them for too long? …So… How does it feel, hm? Losing his heart to the murderer of your parents?…"

Sportacus doesn't know how or why.

But suddenly he's pressing Nine with his back against the wall. Cutting of his airways with his own arm while holding the other's wrists over his head, also pushing them onto the white metal with his other hand. His breathing is coming in short, sharp blows, his eyes are gleaming and his voice sounds low and unknown dangerous "Robbie has absolutely _nothing_ to do with this!"

"So?! It was one of his race!" Nine is still sneering at him, gasping lightly, but not struggling against the grip "A _felf_! They're all the same! Just take a look in the mirror, and you find the proof!"

"It was an accident!" the hero feels his blood starting to boil "Robbie didn't…"

"Oh, wake up, you pathetic fool!" with a sudden, unexpectedly strong jerk Nine pushes the hero off.

With a surprised gasps Sportacus falls onto the ground and just glares at the other, too badly shaking with rage to get up.

Nine smirks and circles him "He's using you, Sportacus. That's what they do. Did he tell you a heartbreaking story? Did he tell you how bad I treated him? I know he did something like this. The moment you saw me here, I could see the hatred in your eyes… That's why your crystal stopped working as well, even before. He's poisoning you with his thoughts and pretensions about your own kind. Tricking you into doubting our system. Driving you even so far to attack me… That's why I've been waiting here for you, Sportacus…" he stops in front of the younger elf and offers him his hand, his smile sincere now "…It's not too late to come back yet… I want to help you, Ís…"


	94. Given!?

"…Ís?…" Sportacus repeats the word under his breath, almost getting the feeling that it leaves a bitter taste on his tongue, and unmoving stares up at Nine, ignoring his hand.

"Yes," the other smiles and takes his hand back "Do you remember your given name? Not many do."

"…Given name?…" the hero tries to push himself up, but he suddenly feels a little dizzy and sits back down on the ground, shaking his head "What are you even talking about?"

"'Ís' is your birth name. What your parents called you. Probably because of your ice blue eyes. 'Sportacus' is the name you've chosen when you came to your school after your parents' death. You were so young back then…just like the others. That's why you don't remember. Did you never wonder why you got such a silly name? You picked it, yourself, when you were a kid. Although most of the others made far better choices, I gotta say that. This was also the first sign that you'd never become a hunter. You've been too soft. Right from the start…"

Sportacus' head is swirling. It feels impossible to progress what he'd just heard.

"…What does all that mean?… Why do you know so much about me?" his voice breaks, he can't help it. Nine starts smirking again "I told you, our crystals contain much more powers than you can imagine… One of them is that it knows _everything_ about its owner. Everything that has ever gone through his mind, even, _before_ he started wearing it. Even those things…of which the memory appears to be lost or forgotten…" the older elf walks over to the kitchen table and gets himself a cup of water, eyeing the hero precisely during this "…And as an Elder you learn how to read these information…"

"So that's how you…know about Robbie and me…"

"No. It was the proof I needed," he turns to look out of a window again "If you're not willingly to cooperate, I'll have to get both of you to the other Elders so we can sentence you… But that's not what I've planned for you, Ís. Do you wanna know why? The crystal also showed me your secret struggle… You never wanted to be a hero. You should've never been forced to go to that school. But you had no choice. Now I offer you one, Ís," Nine turns back and returns to the still sitting elf "Help me get this felf and help yourself to get a new life," he reaches his hand out once more "What do you say?"

Sportacus has a headache and he notices just now that he's trembling quite violently. But he carefully pushes himself up to a stand and looks at the other, his voice surprisingly calm "You disgust me. Did you actually believe that I'd believe you that he's trying to manipulate me?! Robbie got the purest soul I've ever seen. And I love him. That's why you'll _never_ catch him! I won't let you!"

"…You're not making this easier for either of you…"

"That doesn't matter! Love isn't always easy!" the hero turns to leave "But how'd _you_ know something like this, right?…"

"I'll kill him."

Once again Sportacus freezes in his move but doesn't turn back "…You won't find him… And the crystal can't kill…"

Nine laughs out "We'll see about that, Ís… We'll see…"

The hero has meanwhile reached the closed door "Yes, we will… And my name…is Sportacus!…"


	95. Lost!?

"Robbie! Listen, we have to leave! Right now! We…" the moment Sportacus enters the secret room in the library, he freezes in pure shock, finding it completely empty "…What… Robbie! Stephanie! Bessie!" he looks around frantically, storms out of the small room and starts running through the library, calling his friends' names "Stephanie! Bessie! Where are you?"

The hero feels panicky.

And that isn't everything.

His headache and dizziness have gotten worse since he left the airship and he's desperate beyond limits. He was surprised, not to say suspicious, when Nine simply let him go with nothing but the comment that he shouldn't get his hopes up too high, because right now the Elder is just toying with them. He wants to drive them crazy and torture Robbie as long as possible.

Sportacus shudders at this thought.

He knows he's playing right into their enemy's hands by coming here, but he couldn't help it. He couldn't _think_ straight anymore.

He still can't… His brain is clouded and his whole body feels strangely numb to him…

But he very slowly starts to realize…

Robbie isn't here.

None of his friends are.

But where are they?

What happened here?

What if Nine…

He weakly shakes his head, forcing these thoughts aside.

Uncharacteristic slowly the hero leaves the library and almost staggers over the sports field.

No kids.

He feels like calling for anybody, but somehow, he can't.

Neither does he feel able to move anymore mere seconds later.

His mind also is becoming too dazzled to keep up with panicking.

There's just a big, black hole of nothing in his head left now…

Sportacus swallows weakly.

This is worse than a sugar meltdown…

Much worse.

He thinks about sitting down, right where he is standing, but these thoughts get interrupted by a low voice, coming from behind a wall "Sportacus! Hey, Sportacus!"

The hero blinks slowly and takes a wobbly step into the direction of the voice, his own cracking badly "…Ziggy?…"


	96. Chaos!?

"…How did…Stephanie get the idea…to hide him…here now?…"

"She said that the men who are looking for Robbie very likely won't search his lair twice. And even if they did… We'd defend it!" assures Ziggy enthusiastically while leading the way to the entrance behind the billboard. Sportacus smiles weakly "That's…good to hear… Are the others…all down there?…"

"Yes. We brought Robbie here all together, carrying some things."

"How is he?" the hero staggers shortly, but catches himself. The boy, who's obviously trying to hide his excitement about all this, shrugs "Well, when we got to the library with Bessie he looked like he ate way too much candy… Oh, by the way, I didn't know that we've a secret room in there! That's totally awesome!"

"Yeah… It is…" smiling weakly, Sportacus leans on the closed hatch for a moment, taking deep breaths, trying to fight his dizziness, his voice sounds strangely broken "…And did Robbie…look any better when you left to get me?…"

"Oh, yes! Much better! Although he became even paler when we entered his lair and saw the chaos this Nine must've left behind. But he recovered pretty quickly and asked us kids to cover our ears for a moment. I don't know what he said, but the mayor looked pretty shocked…"

Sportacus chuckles weakly "…I can imagine what he said… And that means he actually must've felt a little better again… Come on, let's go inside," he straightens up and has to shortly close his eyes because of a new wave of dizziness.

"Sportacus, are you all right?" Ziggy gently tugs at his arm, his voice giving away his fear.

"Yes," the hero quickly looks at him and smiles soothingly "I'm just happy to hear that Robbie is feeling better and you all take such good care of him and help us. That's really heroic of you!" he gathers himself and opens the hatch with his last bit of strength. When he notices the boy's unbelieving gaze he adds "I'm just a little exhausted… I'll just need a few minutes of rest then I'll be fine again…"

"Okay, then we better hurry up," Ziggy's eyes start to shine and he climbs the ladder leading up to the round opening "Have you ever used Robbie's slide to his lair?! It's so much fun!" says, and jumps down with a happy laugh. Sportacus smiles weakly. He always knew that Robbie cares about the children. But the thought of him telling them to shut their ears so they won't hear him swear is just so pure, Sportacus' heart beats faster when suddenly Nine's claim forces its way into his head again. How could anybody believe that? Robbie is anything but a dangerous manipulator!

He slowly shakes his head, forcing himself to not get all worked up about this again.

Instead, he climbs the hatch and follows Ziggy, sliding all the way down until he reaches the end of the tube. He knows that he'd have no energy to smother his landing.

But he doesn't have to.

Mere seconds later, he finds himself in the fuzzy, orange chair and blinks in actual surprise.

"Sportacus! Thank God!" the next second Robbie is standing in front of him, bows down, and pulls him into a tight hug which the hero returns at once, completely reflexively.

"…I thought, Nine killed you!… I… I felt so strange out of a sudden…" sobs the felf lowly and buries his face into the hero's shoulder. Sportacus tightens the hug, but his voice sounds audible weak and strained "I'm all right. I already told you, he…he's only interested in you…" The other notices his strange tone at once, breaks the embrace and eyes his boyfriend with obvious concern "No, you are not. Sportacus. What is wrong? What happened?"

"I already told Ziggy, I just… I need a break to catch my breath. That's all…" he averts the felf's searching gaze by looking around the great room instead.

He hasn't been down here very often, but he does realize at once that Nine and his men did a good job at devastating Robbie's home.

Most of his gadgets are destroyed and the cases for his disguises are broken as well, while the clothes themselves are spread all over the lair, partly torn into pieces as well. Ziggy is already busy helping the other kids and Bessie and Milford to remove at least the worst part of this mess.

Robbie isn't satisfied at all with his friend's reply, but when he follows his gaze he sighs lowly "I couldn't talk them out of it. And they won't even let me help! Stephanie said that I'm supposed to sit down…" he looks at the girl who's already coming over to them. She smiles "Yes, I did. Leave this to us. It's no big deal. We'll be finished in an hour or so," now, her gaze falls on the newcomer and she tilts her head "Sportacus? What…"

"I'm fine."

"No, he isn't. He needs some rest," Robbie already takes the elf's hand and winks at the girl "Tell him what you told me, Steph!"

The pink girl chuckles "The bedroom is already tidied up. Go and get some rest, we'll take care of the chaos."

"See?!" the felf carefully pulls Sportacus onto his legs and simply drags him across the room to one of two doors, winking at Stephanie during this "Never make Pinky angry. That's a lesson I learned even before we became friends…"

The hero smiles weakly and staggers a little.

But Robbie is there and supports him.

His voice is a low murmuring "Almost there. Hold on…"

When he finally closes the door behind them again and drags the other over to his small, purple bed, he can feel the hero going almost slack in his arms. Robbie doesn't think about it he just simply pushes the elf on the bed and he flops down on his back with closed eyes and a soft groan. Then the villain bows down, takes off the hero's shoes and puts them in front of the bed, before sitting down next to his friend. Sportacus opens his eyes again and they just look at each other for a few minutes.

"…Nine did something to you…" Robbie doesn't feel like talking about this now, but he's got no choice "I don't know what, but it had something to do with the crystal. I could…sense it… Don't ask me how or why. I just…knew…" he swallows hard and carefully takes the hero's hand in his own "…I really thought…he'd…" the felf quickly wipes his eyes.

Sportacus blinks slowly. He's not too surprised to hear that. His main attention is on something different entirely "…You feel…better since you are here, don't you? You have no idea how glad I am to see that! But…why?…"

Robbie smiles softly "Well… That's a little difficult to explain…"


	97. Fog!?

"…You know that I've been living here, since my adoptive parents left me. I found this place when I've been strolling around, shortly after we got here and used it as my secret invention place for those things…my…brother should rather not see… I moved here pretty much the very next day when I was on my own. The only things I took along were my…adoptive father's orange chair…and this, my old bed… Although…I rarely use it. I mostly sleep in the chair, because…" the felf hesitates and swallows hard "…Well, you know about my sleeping troubles already… Also, since I…woke up that one day in bed and was all alone…it's even harder to fall asleep in here…" he can't help but snuggle up even closer to the hero lying next to him. Sportacus wraps his arm around his boyfriend even tighter, trying to protect him from his painful memories…although he's struggling with his own a little as well while listening to Robbie's explanations. The felf's head is resting on the hero's chest, but not mainly for comfort reasons. He can easily monitor the elf's heartbeat and breathing like this, and because he still doesn't know what Nine did to the other, he feels like it's better to keep an eye on that…

"You'll never wake up alone again, if you don't want to. I won't let you," murmurs Sportacus lowly and squeezes Robbie's hand, he's holding in his own. The felf smiles and returns the loving squeeze "I know you won't… So… As I said, I spent quite some time here…and as I now know, I also used my fairy magic down here almost daily, at least when Nine, and later you were in town. The few years in between has probably been the only time when I was…mostly lazy… However, you're right. Since I am down here, I barely feel the effects of the crystal anymore. It's a light tugging or stinging at worst, but nothing more…"

"Wait…" the hero is still dizzy, but somehow his mind manages to understand where this is leading "…My crystal also never showed me when you were in trouble down here…" his eyes widen "So this wasn't just because it recognized that your nature was foreign sometimes…"

Robbie shakes his head "No. Not mainly. I guess…because of the amount of fairy magic I subconsciously used to craft my inventions and disguises there's…some kind of…magic fog surrounding my lair now that deflects the crystal's power… It's only an assumption of course, but…" he shrugs weakly.

"…a very plausible one," Sportacus nods slowly.

"Hm… But what I don't understand…is why _you_ obviously get _worse_ than better down here now…" the felf runs his tongue over his lips. Sportacus gently strokes his shoulder "Don't worry about me. I'm fine. The only thing that matters now is that we got some more time thanks to Stephanie's marvelous idea to take you here. I will…" he breaks up when out of a sudden an incredible strong wave of sickness washes over him and he starts to pant heavily.

"Sportacus!" Robbie sits up at once, pulling the other into a sitting position as well, placing one hand on his chest, searching his gaze "Easy! Deep breaths! Come on, you know what you told me the whole time!" he tries a weak smile, but he can sense that this is something different entirely…

Suddenly Sportacus starts to retch, his body not listening to anything he wants it to do anymore. Robbie jumps up and gets a bucket standing not too far away from the bed already.

"It's all right. Relax," he holds his friend the bucket and soothingly strokes his back, feeling strange about the suddenly reversed positions they're in now, but even much more worried about the elf.

Sportacus weakly shakes his head and rasps "Nine…" at this moment he heaves heavily, his body convulses and the last thing he remembers is falling slack against Robbie, his vision blurring…and finally turning black…


	98. Blame!?

"…It's not your fault, Robbie…"

"It's not?! Then why do I feel so awful!?" the felf digs his fingers into his scalp and pulls at his already tousled hair "Steph, if it wasn't for me, none of this had happened! Nine wouldn't even have come here! And then he couldn't have done whatever he did to Sportacus now!"

"If I understood your explanations earlier correct, _Sportacus_ wouldn't even ever have come here, if it wasn't for you, Robbie," the girl looks up from Sportacus, lying unconsciously and shallowly breathing in the purple bed, and to the other man, pacing in front of it.

A few minutes ago, Robbie looked into the main part of the lair and asked for somebody to bring him the fluffy blanket from his chair and some of the great cloth he uses to craft new disguises. The pink girl already feared the worst and entered the small bedroom just a little time later, carrying the needed supplies, meeting a quite drained felf, and a pale looking hero with closed eyes, in his arms. Together, they carefully wrapped the freezing elf up in the warming blanket and cloth and Robbie shortly told her what happened…

"…If I only knew what Nine did to him…" the felf carefully sits down on the bed again and gently cups the hero's cold cheek.

"You said that you could sense that it got something to do with the crystal… But if you feel better down here…"

"…then why doesn't he… I wish I'd knew, Stephanie…" Robbie can't hold back a tear anymore and shaking brushes his fingers over the hero's new scar, his voice breaking "…Maybe…I was wrong… Maybe it's not Nine who's responsible for this… Maybe I am…"

"Robbie…"

"Look at this scar, Steph! Does this look like anything somebody does to the person he loves most?!" the felf can't keep his voice from shaking with anger at himself and stands up again, clenching his hands into fists.

"That's barely more than a scratch," remarks the girl in an attempt to soothe him "I got some scars from playing and scraping my legs during this as well…"

"But we're not playing, Stephanie!" Robbie turns back and looks at her clearly desperate now "That's a magic scar! I hurt Sportacus badly last night and although I sealed it and kept his life energy from leaking out even further, God knows what damage I caused _inside_ of him with this!" he buries his face in his hands, actually sobbing now "No matter what you two said and tried to convince me of. Nine _is_ right! I'm a danger! For everybody here, but especially for Sportacus!"

"Robbie…"

"No! I know you mean well, Steph, but…"

"No, Robbie! It's Sportacus, he…"

"…Robbie…"

"Sportacus!" the felf is next to his boyfriend at once, taking his hand in his own, searching his gaze, his voice trembling "Sportacus, hey…"

"…Robbie…" mumbles the hero weakly and swallows hard "…Nine… Knows…about us… He…wanted me to…believe you're…manipulating me, but I…never believed him… I…" a tear runs down the elf's cheek and his voice breaks "Robbie, I love you. Please, don't… Don't leave me!"

Both of the hero's friends wince in pure shock when the other suddenly starts sobbing.

"I'm such a bad hero! And my name is stupid and I…picked it myself and…"

Robbie bows down and seals the shaking lips with his own, trying to appear calm and at the same time not to blush, since Stephanie is watching them. It's an instinct, nothing more. But just like a few days ago with him, it works with the hero now as well. He falls silent and relaxes the tiniest bit into the kiss that lasts for long minutes…

Finally, when Robbie pulls back to breathe in, he glances at Stephanie who's just smiling broadly, but happily at them, and then back at the hero who actually calmed down a little, and is just staring at the felf with still teary, fearful eyes.

"…So…" Robbie lovingly cups Sportacus' cheek, gently wiping the tears away, a very small, soft, encouraging smile on his lips "…Now you tell me what this…Asni did to you…"


	99. Names!?

"…And when I left the airship I started to feel even stranger than when I was sitting on the ground before…" finishes Sportacus his explanation and looks down on the cup of tea in his hands "…And when I couldn't find you in your hideout in the library…" he breaks up and starts to shake.

"Hey," Robbie quickly sits down next to his boyfriend and wraps an arm around his shoulders "I'm all right. You know that. Stop thinking about what could've happened."

"But I would've led him right to you! I couldn't think straight! I…"

"I like your name."

"…What?…"

"I don't think it's stupid. I like it," repeats Robbie softly and rests his own hand on the hero's "…And nobody's allowed to make fun of it except of me! Least of all this 'Nine'! Puh! That _isn't_ even a real name! Right Steph?!"

"Right. Nine is a number," the girl smiles. She knows that the villain mainly tries to distract and calm their friend with this. But she gladly plays along.

"See?! She should know! She's good at school! So this guy is nothing but a number and thinks he can beat _us_? Ha!" the felf isn't sure where he takes the strength or the courage from, but he knows that he has to soothe the shaking, sickly elf now. And although he still has few experience with this subject it seems to work and Stephanie gives him an encouraging smile.

"…Us…" Sportacus smiles weakly, but the next moment he swallows hard "…Robbie… Nine won't give up. We…can't win… You can't always stay down here to be safe from the crystal. We need to…" he breaks up in a violent coughing.

"Sportacus!" the villain quickly takes the cup out of the other's hands and gives it to Stephanie, then he starts to gently rub soothing circles into his tensed back "Shush. Easy. You know the game. Deep, steady breaths… You just need a few days to recover. That's all. Don't worry. We'll be fine and we won't let Nine win! I…promise…" then he looks at the girl "I need all the books from the library that contain any information about elves. As quick as possible. And ask Pixel to do some research on his computer as well."

Stephanie nods and heads for the door without asking any further questions.

Sportacus chokes weakly "…Robbie… What…is your plan?…"

With a wry smile and a gentle caressing of the blonde hair of his friend, the felf responds lowly "I'm not sure whether you can call it a plan yet… But if you ask me…it's about time to strike back!…"


	100. Technology!?

"You wanted that printed out, right?"

"Yes. Thank you, Pixel. I can work better on paper…" with a small smile Robbie takes the huge pile of documents from the boy and puts it on his desk next to the books Stephanie, Bessie and Ziggy already got him from the library. There's _a lot_ of work ahead of him…

He's already looking at the book in front of him again when he senses the kid's gaze is still resting on him. The felf blinks and looks up, smiling lightly "What? Does it shock you that I still use pen and paper?"

Pixel shakes his head "No. I was just thinking…which of your machines…were magic and which pure technology…" he lowers his eyes "Sorry. I didn't mean to…"

"No, it's all right!" smiling friendly, Robbie invitingly points at the chair next to his own then he admits "It's just…I'm honestly not so sure myself… I didn't know that I'm a felf and have magic powers until a few days ago. Everything I crafted back in the old days surely got a certain spark of magic in it when I think about it now… But how much, I can't tell. I never noticed after all…" he shrugs weakly. The boy has sat down and is looking at him meanwhile "And Sportacus…is an elf… Just like this Nine guy… Will you use the same tricks you used on Sportacus on him as well now?" At the mentioning of the hero's name the felf instinctively looks across the great underground room at the door leading to his small bedroom where his boyfriend is finally sleeping more or less peacefully, watched over by Stephanie and Stingy…

He forces himself to focus again "No, this time it actually _has_ to _work_! And I'll…have to actually use my magic now this time…" he sighs lowly.

"Oh, don't worry! Your gadgets are _always_ cool. No matter the magic!" Pixel flashes him an encouraging smile. Robbie returns it with a very light blush "Thank you, Pixel. Also…thanks for helping me to clean up the mess Nine left behind. All of you."

"That's the least we could do!" the boy smirks "By the way…thank you for remembering our names now."

The villain returns the smirk "Don't get used to it. I'm just too busy to make up false ones at the moment," he winks "Speaking of being busy… I might could use your help…"

Pixel's eyes start to shine in pure excitement and cause a soft smile on Robbie's lips as well "What shall I do?"


	101. Pride!?

This is never going to work.

He knows that.

But it doesn't matter.

 

"Perfect!" Robbie smiles brightly at his young 'partner in crime' and takes a step back to look at his repaired and improved construction machine they've been working on all day since he developed the idea of a plan.

Yes.

That's all it is.

The _idea_ of a plan.

Nothing more.

But it's enough…

Pixel is standing next to him. Just as dirty, smeared with motor oil and exhausted as the felf, but also with a giant smile on his lips. He looks proud.

And Robbie _feels_ proud. Not mainly on the gadget…but on the boy who helped him to rebuild it. And this is a foreign experience for the villain. But a highly positive one!…

"Thank you," very hesitantly and carefully he puts a hand on Pixel's shoulder and smiles down on the kid "You're very talented. I would've never finished the reparations and improvements today if it wasn't for your help."

The boy looks up to him and his eyes shine even brighter now "That was so much fun! And I didn't know that you're _that_ great at inventing things! We need to do that again!"

Robbie forces all the dark thoughts into the back of his mind for that moment and gently squeezes the boy's shoulder with a friendly smile instead "We may will. But not today anymore. It's getting late. You and the others need to go home soon. But first…" he gently pushes Pixel towards the lever that will start the machine "…would you do me the honor?…" The felf isn't sure what this expression on the kid's face is called or what exactly it means. But he feels a strange, light tug in his chest and is quick to assure himself that it's just again the barely noticeable effect of the crystal's power…

His thoughts focus back on the present when Pixel pulls the lever now and the construction machine starts to work noisily, albeit not as noisily as it used to. A few seconds later the kid opens the hatch and takes a crystal out. Robbie can't help but swallow hard. It looks exactly like Sportacus' only that it's bigger. The hero told and vaguely showed him the size of the stone that is now reunited with its split half when he woke up to take a few bites of an apple for lunch several hours ago.

And now Pixel is holding a copy of this crystal in his hands. They both know that it doesn't bear the powers of the original. But it's neither a comparison to the first cheap copy Robbie crafted shortly after Sportacus moved to town…

The felf's smile drops a little.

"I'm sure it will work!" Pixel offers him a gentle, encouraging smile and hands him the crystal "Don't worry."

Robbie returns the smile weakly "Let's hope so… But now it's time for you to head home, get clean and then get some sleep! I'm sure it's gonna be past 8:08 until you're ready for bed. And you know that Sportacus won't approve of that!" he winks, turns around and goes over to his bedroom, placing the fake crystal on his desk while walking past it. Pixel follows him, still smiling.

Silently the felf opens the door and takes a careful look inside.

"…Robbie…" Sportacus' dull eyes lighten up the tiniest bit when his gaze falls on the other. "Hey…" the villain smiles softly and approaches his boyfriend who is sitting on his purple bed, shaking, pale and holding a glass of water in his hands. Stephanie and Ziggy, who swapped places with Stingy a few hours ago, both look at the newcomers and smile weakly. Their exhaustion is visible although they try to appear unaffected by it…

"Did it work?" asks Ziggy curiously and jumps up from his chair.

"Yeah," beams Pixel at once proudly "Nine won't even know what's going on!"

Once more Robbie can't help a light sad smile, but he's already next to the bed and searches his boyfriend's eyes. The hero returns the look with the most exhausted gaze Robbie has ever seen with him…with anybody…

While the two boys are talking about the felf's machine now, Stephanie gently removes the half empty glass from Sportacus' hands and puts it on the small bedside table. She and Robbie exchange a short look, then she asks uncharacteristic serious and low "So?"

The felf opens his mouth to reply, but the hero already mumbles a sentence he obviously told a few times today already "I'll be fine. I just need some more rest. That's all…"

Stephanie sighs lowly.

"Of course you will be, Sportaflop. Nobody believes anything else," replies the felf softly but with a light smile. Sportacus blinks and looks at him with even clearer eyes now "…The kids…need to sleep…"

"I know. And they know as well. You taught them well after all," lovingly Robbie strokes through the blonde hair of his boyfriend then he looks at the pink girl and his voice lowers even more "We will be all right. I'll take care of him, don't worry. But you should go now. It doesn't help anything if you don't get any sleep."

She nods "Okay. We'll go. But you're sure that you don't need anything?"

The villain shakes his head no "Just promise me to go home as quick as possible and get some rest, yourselves."

"We will," Stephanie smiles, then she suddenly goes over to the felf and shortly wraps her arms around him "Take good care of both of you!"

Robbie isn't too surprised about this anymore. But when Pixel and Ziggy are joining this embrace a few seconds later he freezes again and feels this strange feeling coming up even harder than before…

Sportacus is just smiling at him, almost as if to say 'I knew that it would come to this one day…'.

And Robbie can't help but return first the smile and then the hug as well, memorizing this feeling for…forever…


	102. Important!?

"…Are the kids…gone?…"

"Yes."

"Good…" with a low groan Sportacus falls back into the pillows and covers his face with his hands, mumbling weakly "I'm fine… I just…"

"Oh, shut up, Sportasick. You're not. And the kids are gone. You don't have to act tough anymore," Robbie walks over to the bed, sits down on its edge and gently rests his hand on the hero's chest. He furrows his brows in concern when he feels that the other's shirt is soaked wet with sweat. His attention, however, is caught by a low whimper of the hero just a few seconds later. "Hey… Shush…" carefully the felf starts to stroke through the blonde hair and feels his boyfriend's hot forehead during this "Whatever Nine did to you…"

"I'm…glad that…you feel better down here…" the elf weakly grabs Robbie's hands and holds them in his own, then he searches his eyes and manages a small smile "Anything else…is unimportant right now…"

Robbie frowns and rolls his eyes, but he doesn't pull his hands back "God, why do heroes always have to talk such a nonsense when they're sick? Very brave, yes. But also very stupid, if you ask me, Sportaflop. Your health is in no way 'unimportant'. At least not to me. So just tell me how you feel and what I could do to make you any better, okay?" his voice got softer towards the end and he's smiling gently now. Sportacus returns the smile weakly "I love you, Robbie."

"I love you too, Sportacus," the felf lovingly squeezes his hands "But that's no answer to my question. Please, if there's anything…"

"You're exhausted. You should get some rest," interrupts the hero weakly and furrows his brows barely noticeably.

"I will. But first I'll take care of you."

"There's nothing to t-" Sportacus breaks up in a violent coughing, panting and gasping for breath.

"Easy!" Robbie helps him to sit up and supports his trembling, convulsing body while gently rubbing his back and chest "Deep breaths, Sportacus! Deep breaths."

The hero tries to follow his boyfriend's advice, but for some reason his condition worsens, and soon his vision blurs and his hands tighten their grip on Robbie's arm in a slightly panicky way.

The felf notices this.

And he gets an idea.

"Come…" without removing his hands from the quivering body he now stands up from the bed and takes a deep breath in, gathering his strength. Then he very carefully picks the smaller man up in his arms, bridal style.

"…R-obb-ie…" protests Sportacus weakly between two heavy coughs, although he already reflexively buries his face in the crook of Robbie's neck.

"Shut up, Sportacough. And trust me…"


	103. Steam!?

It's quiet.

Well…

Actually, it's not.

The sound of the powered shower is still mixed with Sportacus' low gasps for breath.

But at least his violent coughing has finally ceased…

With a low sigh Robbie plants a gentle kiss on the elvish hair. Sportacus is sitting next to him on the ground in the shower tub, their backs leaned against the wall and the hero's body also sideways leaning against the felf's chest with his head pressed into Robbie's shoulder. His hands are limply resting in his boyfriend's lap which is a relieving sight for the villain because the elf has been holding on to his arm and shirt before when he was coughing so badly that he barely got enough air and was close to a panic attack.

But he trusted his boyfriend.

And Robbie brought him into his bathroom, sat him down in the shower cabin, turned the hot water on and sat down next to the other, holding and soothing him while they waited for the steam to come up…

"…How did…you…get this…idea?…" Sportacus' voice sounds uncharacteristic weak and he doesn't move one bit. Robbie smiles lightly more to himself, and he lovingly strokes the other's back which is still covered by the wet shirt. They're both pretty much soaked by now, but the felf couldn't care less at the moment.

"You gonna laugh… I've seen this on the TV once. There was a baby who had trouble breathing because it was coughing all the time and then the maid brought it to the laundry because there was so much steam and…it worked," his smile turns even softer, just like his voice "…I'm just glad it worked with you as well…"

Sportacus gently nuzzles his head closer to his boyfriend's neck "I'm so glad to have you…"

Robbie thinks about this for a moment, considering whether he should tell him that if it wasn't for him the elf wouldn't even be in this horrible condition. But instead, he plants another kiss on his hair and keeps caressing his back with his hand "…You're not sick because of the crystal, Sportacus. Then you would be more or less safe here, like I am. You more appear completely powerless… Maybe even 'normally' sick… So whatever Nine did to you… It must've had an influence on your immune system. Pixel and I did some research, but…"

"Ís…"

"What?" Robbie remembers that his friend said this was his given name, but… "…What does your name got to do with that?…"

"I didn't…feel well when he called me that… And…when he pushed me off…this feeling got even worse…" murmurs Sportacus weakly and shifts even closer to his boyfriend, shivering heavily by now. Robbie feels a tug in his chest and forces his voice to remain calm "That's probably just a coincidence… But we'll see," he looks at the steam, filling the whole cabin already and takes a deep breath in while pulling the elf even closer "…We'll see…"


	104. Mucus!?

Lovingly Robbie runs his hand through the blonde hair of the sleeping elf.

Sportacus feels still a little too warm to the touch, but at least he's breathing almost evenly again, after he coughed up a huge amount of yellow mucus mixed with red stains of blood. Thanks to almost two hours in the steam filled shower during which Robbie also helped him to wash off the sweat.

They didn't speak much during this, but they agreed mutely that there was no time nor reason for false shyness now. So Robbie also helped his boyfriend change into some dry, comfortable clothes of the felf. They're a little too big for the smaller man of course, but the hero didn't mind.

More on the contrary.

When he finally snuggled up in the bed he slipped his arms completely inside the cuffs after pulling his knees up to his chest and the fluffy pajama top over them, rolling up into a ball like this with his eyes fixed on Robbie and a very soft smile on his lips.

He looked adorable like that.

And now that he's sleeping even more so…

The felf sighs lowly. He feels tired but at the same time strangely restless. He knows that feeling just too well… If he'd fall asleep now, the chances of getting a hallucination are high. Too high that he wants to risk that.

He can't allow himself such weaknesses at the moment. And he's still used to going several days without sleep so he knows he'll still be fit enough for…his plan starting in the morning…

No.

He weakly shakes his head.

That's the last thing the felf wants to think about now! He wants to enjoy the little time of peace he has left…

With a soft smile he looks at his sleeping boyfriend again, still stroking over his head.

"…I love you, you silly jumping jack… I guess I always did…in a way…" his voice is low, barely more than a whisper, but he doesn't want it any other way "…You made me smile… Although I'd never admit it of course…" he chuckles weakly and adjusts his position so he's now lying next to the hero, propped up by one elbow while still caressing the felf's head with his free hand.

Another sigh and he studies the expression of his sick boyfriend once more.

Sick.

That's what Sportacus is.

He's sick.

Ill.

Unwell.

And although Robbie is no doctor he knows what is wrong with him.

Thanks to Pixel's research and the books Stephanie got for him. It's nothing too serious. It's the elvish version of a bad cold. Rather harmless but pretty rare. Simply because elves have a very good immune system.

Usually.

And that's where Robbie sets in. He weakened Sportacus with injuring him accidentally so he even lost some of his life energy although only temporary. Nine must've noticed that at once during their encounter in the airship and took advantage. He made his decision.

The crystal usually is no weapon you can use against elves. But Nine told Sportacus that it contains every information about its owner, including the memory of the _body_ when it had to fight off a cold in Sportacus' childhood, nearly _all_ the children get at least once, because their immune system also needs several years until it's fully developed. The hero's natural protecting 'shield' has already been hurt by Robbie before so it was easy for Nine to get through with very gentle use of his own magic powers so Sportacus didn't really notice until it was too late already, and the crystal inflicted the false impression of a cold inside of the elf's body which it pulled from his memory before.

And this is it now.

This is Sportacus' normal reaction on the belief of his body that he got infected by something…

He's in no danger, but the hero is very weakened, because adding to this 'cold' comes the immense stress and concern for Robbie.

That's why he feels so horrible now.

At least that's what Robbie _thinks_ must've happened and still is happening with the poor elf…

It appears to be the only logical explanation for all this…

It's a slightly relieving thought one could think.

But the villain knows better than that.

He knows that this was a warning.

For him.

A demonstration of power.

Of superiority.

One…he can't just ignore…

Tears gather in Robbie's eyes.

But he's smiling weakly, his voice and bottom lip trembling violently when he promises "…He won't hurt you anymore… I won't let him!…"


	105. Call!?

The ringing of the telephone sounds through the entire house and wakes Stephanie up. Yawning she turns onto her side and looks at the clock.

It's half past five.

At once the girl is wide awake and sits up "Uncle Milford?"

She jumps out of bed even before it rings for the third time and hurries for the phone in the living room.

In the doorway she meets her uncle.

"Oh, Stephanie. Why are you up already? Can't you sleep anymore? Or did you have a nightmare?"

"Well… The phone is ringing…"

"Oh… Indeed it is! I thought that I was only dreaming this! But you're sure this is real?"

"Yes, Uncle," she giggles softly and they both enter the living room.

"Then this has to be Miss Busybody. She's the only one who could think of calling us this early. Well…actually she's the only one calling us at all…"

"Uncle…"

"Hm? Oh yes! Right…" the mayor nods and quickly picks up the phone to finally answer the call "Hello?"

Stephanie already had a strange feeling since the very first ringing. She couldn't tell what it was, but she didn't believe that it's Bessie calling.

Though, when she hears the next word from her uncle she finally understands what this feeling was: fear.

"Sportacus? Oh, and I thought Miss Busybody… Stephanie?" surprised Milford looks at his niece who snatched the phone out of his hand before he could even think of finishing his sentence.

But the girl doesn't really notice his confused expression. Her entire focus is on the weak voice at the other end of the line "Sportacus? What is wrong? What happened?"

She's been expecting nothing and everything probably.

But not _that_ …

"…Robbie…did **_what_**?!?"


	106. Meltdown!?

"…He took the fake crystal… And…he left this on the desk…" murmurs Pixel and hands Stephanie the note.

The girl is sitting on the edge of the bed next to Sportacus who's propped up by the pillows in his back, staring down at the apple in his hand as if it could give him answers to the one question that is torturing him for almost one hour now already: Why?

Ziggy is sitting at the hero's other side.

He and the other kids got called by Stephanie right away and while the mayor, Bessie, Trixie and Stingy went to Sportacus' airship, hoping to find Robbie, the kids Pixel, Ziggy and Stephanie came to his lair to take care of Sportacus.

The boy has been calm until now, but now he can't keep quiet any longer "But I don't understand! I thought Robbie is your friend now!? Then why did he cause you a sugar meltdown again? And how?"

"Ziggy," rebukes Stephanie sternly.

"…No… It's okay…" Sportacus takes a shaky breath in and reaches out to put the half eaten apple on the bedside table then he gathers himself for a few more seconds before he answers softly "Robbie left to protect me. I guess…he was planning this…since I fell sick… He made sure that I was alright last night and when he wanted to leave this early morning…I woke up. I just…felt that something wasn't right. But when I asked him where he was going…he said that I don't have to worry and that everything will become alright again. And then he…" his voice lowers and he glances at Stephanie "…kissed me… I…didn't know what was happening and thought that I suddenly started to feel dizzy was because I'm still sick… But then he said that he purposefully ate some sugar before so I would get a light sugar meltdown and couldn't hold him back…" his voice trails off when he remembers the tears in Robbie's eyes and the whispered 'I'm so sorry. Please forgive me. I love you.'. Then he placed the phone in his hand so the elf could call for help but Robbie still had enough time to leave before the kids arrived…

"…So…Robbie is trying to be a hero?" asks Ziggy carefully "That's why he tricked you?"

"…And me…" murmurs Pixel with a frown "I thought his plan was to trick Nine. Not Sportacus…"

"Maybe…it is…" Stephanie hands the hero Robbie's note with a serious gaze "That he wants to protect you because you're sick is understandable. But that he took the crystal along means that he has another plan than just sacrificing himself… Look."

Fighting against upcoming tears, the elf takes the small piece of paper and reads the few lines: 'You can't imagine how it hurt to have to betray you again. I know I promised you that I wouldn't face Nine. That I'd hide. But I'm tired of hiding in my lair. I'm tired of hiding who and what I truly am. I won't let Nine hurt you anymore. I won't let him control my and our life. The only thing that truly matters is that you are the hero of this town, Sportacus. And that you'll _stay_ the hero. The kids need you. And I'm ready to do everything so you're all safe and can live in peace again. Everything. And you know me. I'm not one to easily give up. Just trust me. Please.

I love you. Never forget that.'

Sportacus feels the tears running down his cheeks now, but manages to gather his strength and slowly get out of bed with a determined expression on his face.

"Sportacus, wait! What are you doing?" Stephanie jumps up and steadies the staggering hero. He weakly shakes his head and grits his teeth "I don't know. But I won't let Nine win!…"


	107. Walk!?

It won't work…

Of course it won't.

His plans never work!

How could he believe just for a second that it would work?!

 

Very simple…

Because of a childish thing called hope.

Hope for a better life.

Hope for a happier life.

Hope for a life…with Sportacus.

 

Sportacus…

Is he all right?

Is Stephanie already with him and makes sure he eats the apple to fight his sugar meltdown?

What are they thinking about him now?

Does the hero hate him?

No…

Probably not.

He's Sportacus and no matter what Robbie did he never hated him before. And now he knows why the villain did what he did.

Villain wants to become a hero?

Nonsense.

Villain falls in love with a hero and is ready to do _anything_ to save and protect him.

But the result is the same…

 

Robbie shakes his head to himself in an attempt to get rid of these distracting thoughts.

He needs to focus.

Because each time he stops focusing the pain in his chest becomes barely bearable again…

In his right hand he holds the fake crystal and rolls it around a bit in it trying to relieve some of his nervous tension like this.

Bubblegum.

As weird as it sounds that is one of his main thoughts now.

A huge bubblegum of felvish magic that envelopes and shields him from the power of the crystal.

It only exists in his mind of course, but this image helps him to focus his own magic around himself in a similar way that the free energy shields his lair.

Sounds good and easy at first.

But there's one problem.

The longer he has to keep this shield upright, the more his energy fades and the closer he gets to Nine which means that the crystal's power increases.

The felf knows that he can't win like this.

Everything appears to be against him.

But he keeps walking on, his grip on the fake stone tightening…just like the feeling in his chest…

He can't keep his thoughts from drifting off to the memory of Sportacus' eyes when the felf pulled away from the kiss and watched his expression turn from soft happiness…to pure shock and confusion when he told him that he purposefully caused a sugar meltdown…

How could he do that?!?

Why…

"Ah!" Robbie nearly loses the fake crystal when a sudden pain gets a hold on his chest and he staggers to the next tree to lean against it for a moment.

"Damn you, Robbie! Focus!" with gritted teeth he pushes himself off the tree again and forces his body to move on.

It's not far to go anymore…

Finally he has reached the end of the forest and looks up.

In the air, high above the ground hovers an airship. Much bigger than Sportacus' and of a dark brown color.

Robbie has already seen it through his magical telescope when he searched it this early morning, but in real life it looks even more…majestic…

He takes a deep breath in, ignoring the worsening throb in his chest, and steps out of the shadows that had been covering him before.

Right towards the two elvish men guarding the ladder which is leading up and into the ship.

"Hi. May I talk to your boss? I guess he's already expecting me. I'm Robbie Rotten…"


	108. Search!?

"Bessie just called. Robbie isn't at your airship. Nobody is. What…" Stephanie tilts her head and questioningly looks at her three friends who are rummaging through the pile of books and documents they brought Robbie the day before "…What are you doing?…"

"Sportacus thinks that we might find some hints at Robbie's plan by reading what he read," explains Pixel. And Ziggy adds "Yeah, he left some books open and marked several passages on the papers Pixel printed out for him. I still don't understand most of it… And I've no idea how he could think of a plan with this… _If_ he did…"

"Robbie is smart and creative. Maybe he even saw or thought about something we overlooked or…" Sportacus interrupts himself when he has to lean his head into his hands and take a few deep breaths to fight the upcoming sickness.

"Are you all right?!" the pink girl is next to him at once and gently places her hand on the sitting man's shoulder. The hero nods weakly, his voice low "…You said that…they're not in my airship… Then where else could they be? Nine must've taken an airship to get here. But if they hid it and Robbie actually wants to meet Nine… How…"

"His telescope!" Stephanie looks around almost hectically before starting to run around the lair and search for the device. Ziggy quickly jumps up as well and joins her search, happy to find another task than just reading difficult things. Pixel and Sportacus exchange a short glance before continuing with their own job again.

It's a little strange for the children to see Sportacus preferring to sit over moving around. But he still looks quite sick…

"…Is it…that one?…" asks Ziggy after several minutes carefully. The others turn to see him standing under something that could very well be the telescope.

"Great job, Ziggy!" Sportacus jumps up.

Far too fast for his circulation.

"Sportacus!" Pixel is quick enough to catch and support him.

"…I'm…good…" a weak, unconvincing smile, but the elf manages to find his balance again, and slowly follows his friends over to Ziggy. The young boy is still staring up "Uhm… I noticed that Robbie is…pretty tall… But…not _that_ tall… I…think we might have a problem here…" he starts to jump, but strains himself unsuccessfully "I can't reach it!"

"Wait, let me…"

"Oh no, Sportacus! You're barely able to _stand_! We certainly won't let you _jump_!" interrupts Stephanie firmly and determinedly takes a step forward "I got this…"

Sportacus and the kids blink in surprise and watch her take a run in towards the wall close to the telescope reaching down from the ceiling. She jumps at and then pushes herself off the wall to get higher like this and is actually able to quickly reach for the device and pull it down along until it sets in its lowest place. She catches herself on the ground again and smirks "Piece of cake!"

Despite his sickness and his incredible concern for Robbie, Sportacus feels a certain pride washing through him.

Then he slowly steps closer and takes a look through the telescope.

The next second the kids wince lightly at hearing his low, shocked gasp.

"What? Have you found it already?!"

"…Yes… I guess…Robbie…didn't change its setting after he…"

At this moment, Spartacus sees him.

The very well known, slightly hunched figure of Robbie who's walking straight up to the two elves guarding the ladder into Nine's airship.

"No! No, no, no, no! What is he _doing_?!? How can he…" the hero feels his heart nearly skipping a beat when he has to watch how his boyfriend approaches the two others.

For a few seconds nothing happens…

But then they obvious roughly reach out to grab the felf's wrists and pull him over to the ladder…

"What?? What do you see???" asks Stephanie worriedly, reading his horrified expression just right.

"…They…take him up into the ship…on a platform that just descended from it…" the hero swallows hard and starts to feel dizzy when he mumbles subconsciously "…And he's afraid of heights…"


	109. Bubblegum!?

"Either you're even stupider than I thought…" Nine slowly raises from the throne like chair in the one end of the huge airship and looks at Robbie, his eyes cold "…or this is another of these silly attempts to get away from your arrest because you and Ís finally understood that there's no way to avoid the necessary procedure by hiding…"

"Sportacus," Robbie is surprised about his own firm voice, especially because the pain in his chest becomes barely bearable with each further step he gets forced to take towards the Elder by the guards "His name is Sportacus. And you infected him with something. I understand that you hate _me_ , but Sportacus did nothing…"

" _Sportacus_ broke the majority of our highest rules already! Even before he started hiding you, _Rotten_!" Nine steps closer and glares straight into the felf's eyes, his voice threateningly low now and even audibly disgusted "…And then he… _falls_ _in love_ with one of the most _dreadful creatures_ that ever existed! It's pathetic! It's disgusting! It's…"

"I didn't come here to listen to your insults, Nine," Robbie's voice is still calm despite the fact that his legs give way beneath him for a second and he staggers before he's able to catch himself again, his breathing is labored "…I…already know that you hate my…species… Especially me."

The elf has watched Robbie's moment of weakness with a light smile and now he makes a dismissive gesture towards the two guards who turn around and leave the airship without a single comment.

"That is correct," the other man who's about Robbie's size takes another step closer, his smirk broadening when he sees the felf's light frown "…And I hate everything and everybody they're connected with."

Robbie takes a shaking breath in and tries to locate the crystal on Nine's body. The fake one is still hidden in his closed fist.

Bubblegum…

The pain gets worse…

"Your little shield will chatter within the next few minutes," Nine grins knowingly "You stand no chance against the power of the crystal. It's about time you accept that!"

"Then why are you still so afraid of us?" his question has barely left his lips, Robbie already cries out in sheer pain and doubles over.

Bubblegum.

Nine smirks, but noticeably angry, his hand in his right pocket "We're _not_ afraid! It's our job to protect this world! And _you_ and your kin…" he increases the magical pressure on the crystal in his hand.

The felf cries out again and drops onto his knees.

Bubblegum!

Damn it…

Provoking Nine worked better than expected… Now Robbie 'just' has to…

This time, the felf falls onto his side with a loud cry and curls up on himself. His body is twitching as if he got an electrical shock and funnily his last thoughts are 'Bubblegum has burst' before with the next cramp in his chest his eyes flutter shut and he barely registers Nine's next comment anymore "Fun time's over, Felf. Now we're playing serious!…"


	110. Torn!?

"What is this Nine going to do to him?" it's audible that Stephanie is a little reluctant to ask.

And Sportacus' answer is just as hesitant "I don't know… I wish I'd knew…"

Does he really? Or can reality be even worse than the worst imagination?…

"Sportacus, you look horrible. We should go back…" remarks Pixel carefully.

"Yes, he's right! You won't be any help for Robbie like that, either way!" Ziggy tugs at the hero's arm.

"You might be right…" the elf takes a labored breath in, fighting his dizziness with each further step he takes to cross the forest together with the three children "…But I can't leave Robbie on his own. He needs me. And I will help him, no matter at what…" he interrupts himself, remembering that they're still kids and forces a weak smile "I just can't let him down."

Ziggy stops. And so do the other two.

Puzzled the hero turns around and looks at his three friends, all of them standing there with folded arms, frowning.

"…What…"

"We know that Nine is dangerous, Sportacus," starts Pixel firmly.

"Far more dangerous than Robbie could ever be," adds Ziggy.

And Stephanie finishes "Whatever he'll do to Robbie, we don't want to lose you the same way!"

And suddenly there's this horrible feeling in the elf's chest again.

He's torn.

Torn between his feeling of responsibility for the kids and his friendship with them and his responsibility and feelings for Robbie…

"…I…have to save him…" the hero doesn't really notice the tears that are streaming down his face by now "I'm sorry! You're…my family! And I… I would never purposefully leave or hurt any of you in any way! But…I can't leave Robbie with Nine! I can't live without him! I… I love him…" his voice breaks and he lowers his eyes. He doesn't know whether the children are old enough to understand…or whether he should've told them at all. He doesn't know anything anymore…

"…Well…" Pixel shortly glances at Stephanie and then back at the hero "Why didn't you say that at once?!"

Even more confused than before Sportacus looks up again and in three grinning faces "…What…"

"We just wanted you to say it out loud," Pixel smirks "And to get some more color in your face again."

"Yeah. You looked as white as the frosting of Stephanie's last cake!"

Sportacus blinks. Even more tears dropping from his eyes. Then he bows down and embraces three of his friends tightly "Thank you. I love you."

"We love you too. And…Robbie."

And that is all that has to be said in this moment.


	111. Prey!?

"…I still don't like the idea of Robbie and you alone with Nine up there…" Stephanie shakes her head and gives the airship a suspicious and almost hostile glance.

"Me neither."

"Ditto."

"I know. But…this one time…it's a discussion between grownups…" Sportacus doesn't really like his own choice of words "I'm sorry, but you can't come along…"

"Do you really think Nine is going to 'discuss' things with you and Robbie?" Pixel gives him an unbelieving glance.

Of course not.

He isn't interested in a peaceful resolution of this.

He just wants revenge…

Sportacus forces these thoughts into the back of his head and tries to smile "I do hope so. And I'll never know unless I try. Right?"

"I'm not sure…whether this actually applies to everything…that isn't sport…" Ziggy spins the lollipop in his hand without taking his eyes off the huge brown airship hovering several meters ahead and above them.

The four friends are hiding in the bushes at the edge of the forest and although they don't mention it in any way none of them can help the feeling that it's…waiting.

Almost like a predator waits for its prey to walk straight into its welcoming fangs…

"…It does…" replies the hero finally lowly on Ziggy's question that seems so far away already. Then he crouches down in front of the three kids and looks at them with a serious but gentle gaze "But I don't know what is going to happen. I'll be honest. You deserve the truth. There's…the chance that Robbie and I may…won't be able to return to LazyTown. For what reason ever. But if there's any chance to come back…we'll take it. I promise."

The three kids look at his smile and for a moment the hero appears more like his usual healthy, strong, encouraging self again and not like the sickly, scared elf he is right now.

And this moment is enough to give the children hope and help them to swallow their tears again.

They hug for three full minutes once more.

Then Sportacus takes a deep breath in, straightens up and walks over to the two guards of his own kin.

His steps are steady and his demeanor of a strange pride…

Right in front of the other two he stops and just looks at them for a few seconds.

Finally one of the guards speaks up "Nine is already awaiting you."


	112. Ultimatum!?

The kids had tied his arms on his back once when they've been playing cops and Sportacus was the thief.

And Robbie had caged him in multiple times as well of course.

Neither of these situations made him feel uncomfortable or scared.

But now…his hands are free and he's neither caged in nor experiencing a sugar meltdown.

He's still weakened but his determination to save his boyfriend is stronger.

Though…he feels more restricted…and threatened than ever now when the platform slowly lifts him up into the foreign airship. The two guards stay on the ground. Like this it appears like Sportacus is 'visiting' the other elf completely voluntarily and not like he's about to become a prisoner of the Elder himself.

But it's a pointless act.

The hero knows this even before the platform gets completely pulled back into the ship and stops moving.

He knows this even before his eyes detect the lifeless body on the floor and he takes a shocked breath in.

And he's kneeling next to it even before the shocked, panicky, scared yell escapes his lips " ** _Robbie!!!_** "

Reflexively his shaking fingers dart to his neck to feel for a pulse.

Nothing…

Wait!

There's…a very feeble throb!

Yes!

"…You're alive…" his whisper is broken and already muffled by the tears streaming down his face "…Oh, Robbie…" Very carefully, he turns the still motionless body onto its back and lifts the upper part of it onto his lap. His crying turns into almost hysteric sobs when he now looks into the pale, almost white, clearly pain stricken face of the man he loves.

He looks dead…

But he isn't!

The hero reminds himself of that again and again…

And again and again while his fingers very tenderly brush over the ice cold cheeks of the felf.

Then he whispers with still trembling voice "…Robbie… Please… Wake up. It's me! I… I got you now! I'm here! And I won't go again! I won't leave you! Please, Robbie…"

"It's called Energy-Coma. At least translated in English. Although in our mother tongue it would be…"

" ** _What did you do?!?_** " Sportacus instinctively pulls the limp felf even closer to his chest and glares into the direction where the smug voice just came from.

With a triumphing smirk Nine steps further into the hero's field of view, his tone of an almost provoking calmness "Nothing but use your crystal to extract his life energy. I warned you."

" **You disgusting scumbag!** " Sportacus doesn't even register what he's yelling anymore. Grinning, the older elf looks down on him "You should really learn to be thankful, Ís. I didn't kill your bastard friend. Yet. But it's the matter of a single thought…"

"What do you want, **_Nine_**?" Sportacus spats the name and pulls the cold body closer to himself, trying to shield it from the other.

But it's useless.

He knows that it's too late for that.

That he should've been with Robbie when Nine attacked his boyfriend…

"This isn't about what I _want_. It's about what is right. About my orders that have been yours too not too long ago…" Nine straightens up completely again, his eyes even colder than before "Ís Sportacus. I arrest you because of betrayal of your own kin, disregard of your direct orders and hero duty, aiding a wanted criminal…and illegal interaction with a dangerous and forbidden species. You are going to be sentenced by the wise council of the Elders at your birth country," he bows down to the still crying Sportacus and the still unconscious Robbie and his voice gets dangerously low "And I warn you just one time. If you show any form of resistance, I'll finish him off."


	113. Kidnapped!?

"…What are they doing now?…" Ziggy's voice trembles a little with excitement and fear and he struggles to keep it down low "Stephanie! Stephanie! Why are they going up now as well??"

"I don't know but I doubt that it's a good sign…" the pink girl straightens up and gets out of the cover behind the bushes.

"Stephanie wait! Sportacus told us to wait here!" Pixel jumps up and follows her.

Ziggy whines lowly "Then why do _you_ get up now as well?!" and follows his two friends.

The girl is already standing on the grass beneath the airship with her head put in her neck and stares up to it.

Suddenly she exclaims excitedly "Guys! I think they're starting!"

"What?! But Sportacus and Robbie are still up there!"

"Yes, we know, Ziggy! Pixel! Don't you have anything to stop them?" Stephanie clenches her hands into fists. She knows the answer to her question already of course.

"No, I'm sorry…" he shakes his head and they watch the airship very slowly rise higher and higher into the sky "…But we can follow it!"

Stephanie and Ziggy both blink in surprise at Pixel's sudden exclaim.

"Follow it? How do you think…" but at this moment the girl understands "Sportacus' airship! My uncle can be the pilot! Come on!" she  dashes off and simultaneously searches her handbag for the phone Bessie gave her before she and the others left to search for Robbie "Bessie? Please, give me my uncle! It's urgent! …Uncle Milford? Okay, listen! Get back to Sportacus' airship! We're on our way there already! Sportacus and Robbie have just been kidnapped! We need to follow Nine!…"


	114. Core!?

"…What are they going to do to him?…" Sportacus barely recognizes his own voice.

It's low, forced, powerless and hoarse.

In one word: beaten.

But how could it not be?

That's what he is after all.

Beaten.

He's sitting on the ground of a magic cage in the airship of his precursor which is on its way to Iceland and the Elders' court of the elves. The upper body of the still unconscious and almost ice cold Robbie in his lap.

He can't take his eyes off of his doomed boyfriend.

"Nine, what will they _do_ to him??" his voice is stronger this time but almost suffocated by his tears.

The Elder sighs audibly annoyed and comes over from the window to stand in front of the cage, looking down on the picture of misery. His voice is cold and bored "I have no authorization to…"

"Nine, **_please_**!" the hero's voice borders at hysteria now "I **_need_** to know!"

Yes, he does.

But at the same time he'd rather _not_ know…

"You _actually_ love this bastard, don't you?"

" ** _Don't call him that!_** " Sportacus clenches his free hand into a fist while the other keeps caressing Robbie's head and cheek, and he raises his gaze to give the other a hatred filled glare.

Chuckling the other elf crouches down to be on eye level with the hero then he tilts his head "How many times did he try to run you out of town? How many times did these attempts almost ended up in somebody getting seriously hurt? You know you lost count of it."

"Robbie is **_not_** _**bad**_! He'd **_never_** hurt anybody on purpose! He just…"

"He's _evil_! He's _always_ been! It's in his _nature_! He already caused nothing but trouble and endangered me and the kids when he was just a young boy!" Nine's voice is low but angry.

But Sportacus' is as well now "He came here to sacrifice himself for me! He cares for the children! When he understood what he is he was terrified to hurt any of us! Please! We love each other! He would never…"

"Rotten belongs to a dangerous species. His actions are of no importance anyway."

" **That's _sick_!** **_You_** hate him! Because he's **_better_** than you! Because he would've been able to beat you even as a child!" Sportacus has never felt this outraged before "You are ready to do **_everything_** to get your revenge on him!"

"I have my _orders_!"

"You're an _Elder_! It's your job to make the _right_ decisions, not to blindly obey the ones of the rest of the council!"

"Enough! You've **_never_** truly understood our ways, Ís!" with a single jump Nine is standing on his feet again and turns his back at his prisoners.

"…What are they going to do to Robbie?…" Sportacus swallows hard.

Nine doesn't turn back "They will sentence him… And then they'll extract the core of his magic…"


	115. Team!?

"Oh my… I'm not sure whether this is a good idea…" Milford uneasily looks at the cockpit of Sportacus' airship.

"We have no other choice! We need to follow them and if we want to stand any chance against Nine, we have to go all together and _your_ plane simply isn't big enough for all of us, Uncle!"

"But Stephanie, I've never flown an airship before…"

"Oh, Milford, get yourself together! You're a pilot! And this thing flies through the air! And we can't afford to lose any more time!" interrupts Bessie and nudges the mayor forward.

"It won't be flying any longer if I crash it…" murmurs Stephanie's uncle worriedly but carefully climbs into the cockpit "…Oh dear…"

"Don't worry, Uncle Milford! We'll help you! Pixel, have you found out how this thing works?"

"I think so. Among all the stuff I printed out for Robbie yesterday there was also some information about elvish airships," the boy steps closer and points inside the cockpit "Do you see these two pedals? It basically works like a bicycle. You pedal for powering the motor which doesn't only set the propellers in motion to fly the ship but also supplies the whole airship with energy…"

"Wait a second!" Trixie steps closer now as well "Are you trying to tell us that we have to **_pedal_** the **_whole_** way to…wherever this mean guy is taking our friends?!"

"Well… There's also a battery that gets charged when the pedals produce more energy than is needed at that moment…"

"Great!" Stephanie smiles relieved "Sportacus surely always produces more of it than he needs!"

"…Yeah… The thing is… I already checked that and…it's almost empty… I guess Sportacus needed most of it when he took care of Robbie during the past few days…"

"Great," repeats Stingy Stephanie's exclaim from before but obvious sarcastically then he gives the girl and Pixel a look as if they emptied the battery themselves "We're never gonna make it like this."

"But Nine's airship works the same way, doesn't it?!"

"That doesn't make it even, Trixie! Nine got these two muscled…sort-of-Sportacuses. _And_ very likely a full battery _as well_!" reminds Stingy sharply, shakes his head and repeats "We're never gonna make it."

"But we have to! We…"

"Oh my, Stephanie. I'm afraid, Stingy is right…" remarks Milford carefully "I don't think…I'll be able to pedal all the way to… Uhm… Wherever these elves came from…"

Silence.

Suddenly Ziggy starts to sob lowly "But we can't let Sportacus and Robbie down! We're their family! They'd do _everything_ for us!"

"Oh Darling…" Bessie goes over to the boy and wraps an arm around him "Please, calm down… You know…they'd both want you kids to stay safe…"

"No. Ziggy is right!" Stephanie determinedly puts her hands on her hips "We _have_ to help them! And we _will_! There's _always_ a way! Uncle Milford. Start the airship and pedal away! All of us will watch and learn how to fly this thing! And then we'll take turns!" she looks around between the slowly brightening faces of her friends "We're a team! And it doesn't matter whether we'll have to take turns for days! We won't let Nine get away like this! We'll help our friends! Right?!"

A short pause.

Then determined, six voiced agreement "Right!"


	116. Stupid!?

"…Stupid…elf…"

" _Ro_ -"

" _Sh!_ " the felf quickly reaches up to cover Sportacus' mouth with his hand.

The hero is completely perplex. He's just been caressing his unconscious boyfriend's cheek and suddenly he opens his eyes and…

"What… How… Are you…" the elf manages to keep his stammering low and quickly looks around to check whether Nine or his guards have noticed them. But they're either busy flying the airship or resting, and the Elder is meditating.

"…The more…appropriate question…would be…why…are you…here?!" Robbie's voice is audibly weak and not more than a strained whisper but his eyes search Sportacus' "…And why…are you crying?…"

The poor hero is still completely overwhelmed "I-I…couldn't…let you sacrifice yourself! And when I…came here I thought…" he loses the fight against the new tears "…You looked…dead… I almost…got a heart attack…"

Robbie's rebuking and upset expression softens at once and he shaking reaches out to wipe the hero's tears away "Hey… Calm down now. I'm alive, right? Just…my plan didn't work… And your presence…doesn't make it any better…" he looks aside. Sportacus winces a little at his words "…What?… What plan? What… Why don't you finally start talking to me??" he barely manages to keep his voice low any longer. Robbie weakly shakes his head "You have to leave. I can't let you…"

"Robbie. We're in a _cage_. Even if I wanted to - what I _don't_ \- I _couldn't_ leave. Nine…arrested me. You don't have to try to protect me anymore. We're both on the same side of the elvish law now. And that's the opposite one of Nine's."

It appears as if Robbie's already chalk white face pales even more now. Tears come up "That's all my fault! If it wasn't for me…"

"Shut up," Sportacus swallows hard, bows down and presses their foreheads together like he did it already when the other was still unconscious "I thought I lost you, Robbie. I thought Nine _killed_ you. I don't care what happens to me! As long as I'm with you! And I don't give a damn about what we are!"

"That's…pretty gooey, don't you think?…" the felf tries a shaking smile "…Especially since we know that we both very likely are going to die soon…"

"I don't care. It's true! And we _won't_ die! I won't let you give up!" without hesitation Sportacus presses his lips on Robbie's and closes his eyes.

The villain has no chance to fight him.

But neither does he want to.

He can feel the heat still radiating from the sick elf.

He can feel his own far too cold and weak body and the pain in his chest.

But all that matters right now is this kiss.

It might be their last…

Robbie opens his mouth and gives in completely to the hero's gentle demanding kiss, including his tongue.

His eyes flutter shut as well and he doesn't know how many minutes pass until Sportacus pulls back again slightly panting, and looks down on him with shining and still lightly feverish eyes.

The felf takes a deep breath in then he gently cups the hero's cheek and smiles weakly although both of them have lost another fight against tears "…Damn you, Sportaflop… I can't even die in peace…"


	117. Talents!?

"…A magic cage?…" Robbie furrows his brows and moves his eyes to look around their small prison without changing his position in the hero's lap.

Sportacus nods and keeps stroking through his boyfriend's black, tousled hair with one hand, and gently rubbing his chest with his other in attempt to get him warm "Yes. It's surrounded by a magical field that prevents any energy from floating so the prisoners won't be able to attack…"

"Seriously. You elves are so extra…" the felf chuckles very weakly, his voice still not more than a whisper, but then his smile softens and he gently puts his hand on the hero's "…But that appears to be our luck. It explains why I start to feel better. The crystal's power can't get through this field, either…"

"…and your own power is restoring. Oh Robbie…" Sportacus doesn't even try to suppress his tears of relief and emotion any longer because it already takes enough of his strength to keep quiet so the other elves won't notice that his boyfriend is very slowly recovering. The felf nods once and smiles softly.

But his eyes talk volumes.

He knows that this is only a delay of the unavoidable.

That they will reach Iceland eventually and that their future together is something that mustn't be.

At least not according to the Elders.

Maybe they won't kill Robbie directly. But if they 'extract his magical core' like Sportacus told him Nine called it, who knows what will be left of him then…

And Sportacus…

What happens to a former hero who got arrested?

Robbie doesn't dare to ask…

"…I don't know what to do…" Sportacus' low, broken voice is barely enough to rip Robbie out of his thoughts, but he's alarmed by the suddenly desperate expression on the hero's face. "…Sport… How could you? You haven't been trained for…"

"That's exactly it! I'm useless for things I haven't been trained for obviously!" sobs Sportacus suddenly lowly.

"That's not true. Hey… Sportacus…" with a low sigh Robbie lifts his hand and cups his friend's cheek again, gently stroking it with his thumb "Love. Think about it. Were you truly trained for any of the things and problems I threw at you?"

The hero sniffs and shrugs "…I don't…think so, no…"

"See? And you know how well you handled them!" the felf wipes his tears away and smiles encouragingly, although he is aware that his next words are the complete opposite of what he has been thinking about not even one minute ago "This isn't over yet. We're not done."

"But I'm scared…" Sportacus' voice gives away his exhaustion and even that he's still sick. The felf can't help the feeling that while he, himself, slowly but steadily recovers again, his friend gets worse for some reason. If he loses hope now…

"Hey. You told me not to give up, remember?!" Robbie takes a deep breath in, his still by weakness slowed mind is working feverishly "The same counts for you! …And…Nine made a mistake… Yes!" his eyes start to shine a little brighter and Sportacus' gaze reflects his confusion when his boyfriend talks on with a light smirk on his lips "…He forgot…that I'm not just a felf…but an inventor as well!…"


	118. Good(s)!?

"…Are you sure they're asleep?…" Robbie crooks his head a little to take a look out of the cage and into the quite dark airship.

The only illuminated area is the cockpit where one of the elvish guards is pedaling and flying the airship.

Sportacus nods and replies just as lowly "Every five hours the guards swap flying duty. This gives us about three hours now until the next change. Nine and the other are sleeping so tight they won't notice and the pilot neither…"

"Good!" the felf sits up, carefully but still with this light sparkle in his eyes "Do you carry anything with you in your pockets?"

The hero blinks confused and a little dazzled "No, I…don't think so…"

"Please, check again. I can use _anything_ right now!" pleads Robbie in the same low voice their entire conversation already is in since he woke up, while he silently empties his own pockets as well. His friend follows the order "What is your plan? What are you going to build? Can you even see enough in this darkness?"

"Yes, I can see very well in the dark if I have to. Lots of experience…" the former criminal blushes lightly "And well… I don't know myself yet what I'm going to build… What I _can_ build. Depends on the things I can use for this purpose…"

Which turn out to be: two rubber gums, a small screwdriver, four screws, a pen, a nearly used up red crayon, a half empty package of licorice flavored, blue bubblegum, a piece of wire, a plastic spoon, an almost full package of matches, a few, probably quite old, sticky caramel bonbons which he totally forgot about…and of course the by Pixel printed out and folded up blueprints of the known elvish airship types…and the fake crystal…

Sportacus blinks in utter disbelief when he watches his boyfriend spreading the content of his pockets on the ground of their magic cage. He can't believe it and doesn't really understand where all this stuff comes from…or how it's supposed to save them…

Then his eyes move to the finds of his own pockets: a few different Sportscandy seeds, a pen and a very small notebook…

"…We're lost, aren't we?…" whispers the elf even lower than before when they've both just mutely stared at their apparently nonexistent chance of hope lying spread out between them for some minutes.

Robbie blinks very slowly then he raises his eyes to look at his boyfriend. His voice is soft but firm "I need to think about this for a while… And you need to sleep. Urgently. It's not only long past eight o' eight already, but your fever has risen and you need to get some rest now."

"But I can't let you…"

"Sportacus," the felf takes both his hands in his own and smiles at him lovingly "You can't do anything right now but do me the favor and try to recover a little. You mustn't fuss anymore now. And don't worry about me, I feel much better already!…"

The hero opens and closes his mouth a few times, but he's too dazed to think of any arguments against this so he mumbles weakly "But…you'll wake me up if you get an idea… Okay?"

Robbie nods "Okay," then he helps his boyfriend to ease into a lying position and lovingly strokes his cheek once more "Sleep now, you silly blue elf. Sleep…and let me prove that I'm not a complete failure after all…"

If Sportacus had heard this he'd probably assure him once more that he isn't.

But he's already too far gone to progress the just said and gives in to his exhaustion just seconds later and falls into a deep, almost unconscious sleep…


	119. Worries!?

"…You should be asleep…"

Pixel jumps a little at the low voice behind his back and reflexively turns his head. The next second he relaxes again and smiles lightly "You too. Or are you already waiting to replace your uncle in the cockpit?"

Stephanie smiles and shakes her head, answering just as lowly "No. I should be asleep too. Let's make sure we neither wake the others nor disturb my uncle…" With this she silently sits down next to the boy in front of the door of the closet where Sportacus keeps his toys. They just sit there in silence for some minutes, staring at it.

Then the pink girl admits lowly "I can't sleep… All of us give our best but I doubt that we'll be fast enough… And what if we're wrong and Nine is _not_ taking them to Iceland?"

Pixel looks at her sideways for a moment then he smiles wryly "And what has become of my optimistic friend?"

She blushes a little and returns the smile "You're right… We can't give up hope yet. And if we're lucky they'll even manage to free themselves… They're Sportacus and Robbie after all!" her smile drops a little and she swallows hard when she thinks about the last time she's spoken to them, but then she tilts her head in light confusion "And why can't _you_ sleep?"

The boy lowers his head a little "…To be honest… For the same reason as you… And I still don't understand why Nine does that. Robbie isn't really bad. He's just…different. And Sportacus said he loves him so…why do they want to hurt him?"

"Because Robbie is a felf…"

"Yeah and what does that mean?" Pixel looks at her almost desperately.

"Sportacus' people seem to believe that he's dangerous because of this for some reason. But that's totally stupid."

"Yeah! Someone who's in love can't be dangerous! Sportacus' people gotta know and realize that!" he tilts his head in slight shock "Wait… Does that mean…they don't stand any chance? Because Nine obviously _is_ dangerous…"

Stephanie has to swallow hard once again and searches for another straw to hold on to "…But… They're also clever… And we're coming for their rescue…" she sighs lowly and leans against Pixel, spending and receiving comfort like this "…All they gotta do…is hold on… And for this…they've got each other…"


	120. Plan!?

It's hopeless!

That's absolute stupid and would never work!

 

With these dark thoughts Robbie throws away the third plan in a row.

Burying his face in his hands he forces himself to take deep breaths.

The felf knows that he can't afford to give up.

They'd be lost.

But neither can he try to go with a second- or even third-class plan like he sometimes used to when it was about chasing Sportacus out of town or teasing the kids. For those occasions he didn't have to try so hard to make everything perfect.

But using any of these superficial plans and inventions _now_ would also be their doom…

The inventor takes another shaky breath in and wipes his face. Then he looks at the tightly sleeping hero lying on his side on the ground next to him. His expression is a somewhat painful frown and his open hands that are resting next to his head are lightly twitching.

A proof of his nervousness…of his fear even…

"…I'm sorry…" Robbie swallows thickly and very gently strokes through the blonde elvish hair, his voice a barely audible whisper "I'm so sorry that all this is happening to you… All because of me… I'll never be able to make this up to you…" a lonely tear drops from his eye, but the elf appears to calm down a little thanks to his gentle touches "You deserve the world…and then you chose someone like me…who can't even get you out of this damn cage!…" he hesitates "…Wait… I can't…" his eyes move back to the pile of random, apparently useless things and his voice falls under his breath "…But I don't _have_ to…" he licks his lips and closes his eyes, gathering his thoughts.

Okay.

They're in an airship on their way to Iceland, and of course the only possible way for them to escape the situation is taking over the control of said ship.

Therefore they need to escape this cage.

Right?

Wrong!

That wouldn't be such a problem! Sportacus can easily crack the lock, Robbie knows that out of experience. But even if they got out, they'd still be outnumbered.

No.

The first step is to take out Nine, otherwise, he'd use the crystal on Robbie again anyway as soon as he left the safe cage.

And seriously, in taking out elves, Robbie has more than enough experience…

"…Why are the simplest things always the ones to think of last?…" he sighs lowly and lovingly strokes through Sportacus' hair again, murmuring "…I'm sorry, Sport… This is gonna be though for you too…" the inventor takes a deep breath in "But it's the only way!"

Determined but silently he rips a sheet of paper out of the notebook and folds it so it got the shape of a pot now. Then he puts the crayon in it and carefully crushes it with the back of the screwdriver until it's a fine powder. He folds more of these paper pots and nests them so they get more stable. Now he turns to the old caramel bonbons.

"…Pure sugar…" the felf smirks almost mischievously, takes a match and lights it, taking high care that none of the other elves notices while he now melts a little of the sweets and lets it drop into the empty pot.

It takes quite a while and several matches and he isn't completely sure whether he didn't use some of his own magic as well that appears to work inside the cage as long as you don't try to send it past the bars in any way to quicken the progress, but he couldn't care less right now.

Once he's sure he got enough he puts the bonbon aside and quickly mixes the crayon powder underneath the melted caramel with one of the pens.

Now he has to wait until the substance has cooled down completely again and gotten hard…

"…Let's just hope that this works and the crayon is really going to help make powder out of this again without having to use too much force…and make noise like this…"

While waiting he takes the bubblegum and starts practicing the second last step he'll use later on, after he woke up Sportacus as well, who will have to take responsibility for the last step to finish his plan…

The substance is cooled down and he starts crushing it to very fine powder again.

It goes pleasantly easy.

Now the felf takes a fresh bubblegum and chews it a little before taking it out of his mouth and rolling it in the red powder, kneading it a little until everything is well spread inside the gum.

His final action for now is to snap the handle of the plastic spoon and place the head of it next to the rubber gums.

"…So… That was that…" the felf puts the prepared bubblegum into the paper pot for now and puts it to the other arranged items.

Then he takes a deep breath in with closed eyes.

They'll have to wait for dawn so the plan can actually work.

'Actually'

He nearly laughs at this word not daring to do any calculations how unlikely it is that it _really_ is going to work…

But it's the only thing he can think of.

With a mute sigh he lays down right next to his boyfriend. Their faces close enough that he can sense Sportacus' light breath tickling his lips.

Even now the former criminal can't help a mild smile.

He loves this man. And oh, how he'd love to kiss him awake, but he fears that with the sugary bubblegum he chewed on before he'd cause just the opposite…

Instead he reaches out to very carefully and lovingly caress the hero's cheek.

Robbie's voice is soft but also lightly shaking when he whispers "…Sportacus… Wake up. I…have to tell you of my…plan…"


	121. Drowning!?

"…Do you think…you can manage?…" Robbie eyes his friend carefully.

The elf looks groggy despite his relatively long rest, pale and obviously weakened and he's shivering.

But he nods "Yes. I do think so… Robbie," he weakly and with a soft smile pushes the felf's hand off his forehead and takes it in his own instead "Stop worrying. I'm fine."

"You look miserable and your fever is obviously increasing. How is that 'fine'?!" rebukes the other strictly but still in a whisper "What if Nine infected you with something worse than I thought?!"

The hero softly shakes his head and lovingly squeezes his hand "I promise you, I'll be okay."

"And what if not?! There's no point in me surviving this if I lose you!" Robbie isn't really aware of how this sounds and if they weren't still lying on the ground, he'd look away now to hide his upcoming tears, but like this he lets them roll down his cheeks well seeable for his boyfriend. "Oh, Robbie…" the hero reaches out to carefully wipe the wet drops away again "I won't leave you alone. But you said it yourself, your plan is our only chance now."

"My plans always fail! Just like I do, myself! If…"

"Shush," he gently covers the felf's mouth with his hand and smiles softly, encouragingly "Your plan is clever and _you_ are a genius. It won't fail. You did your best. Now I have to do my best as well. Of course there's always something that can go wrong and we need some luck. But we fight and don't give up. And therefore we've already won!"

Robbie can't help even more tears falling from his eyes and he shifts even closer to press their foreheads together. His voice is shaking just as badly as his weak smile "Silly blue elf… This may be true for sports and games…but this is about our life…our future if there is going to be any at all… We're taking risks…"

He gets shut up by soft, but slightly too warm lips pressing on his own.

Shocked, the felf quickly pulls back, opening his mouth for a rant because he told his friend that he had chewed on sweet bubblegum earlier and didn't want to risk causing him another sugar meltdown by kissing him.

But before he gets out even a single word the elf gives him an almost coy smile "…I'm ready to take as many risks as necessary to be together with you," he lovingly caresses the felf's cheek. Robbie blushes but mumbles slightly rebuking "That one was _not_ necessary…"

"Maybe not…" Sportacus' smile takes on a slightly dreamy…and to Robbie apparently also even more feverish expression "…but definitely worth it, though!…"

And before his boyfriend can contradict any more the hero presses their lips together again, knowing that they still got some hours left before the other elves are going to wake up and they can start with their plan. And he's determined to spend this time with the man he lost his heart to long ago, and to show him just how _much_ he loves him.

Simply because this time it might actually be their last chance…

Robbie is still crying, but he finally gives in to the kiss when it gets even deeper and more intimate and he realizes why Sportacus is doing this.

Drowning the fear in a kiss of pure love.

There sure are worse things one could do…

He almost smiles at this thought…


	122. Air-Rhythm!?

"You know this maybe would look even cute…if this wasn't a _felf_ you're cuddling with!" growls Nine with obvious disgust and kicks against the door of the cage "You should rather think about what you're going to tell the other Elders at court for your defense! Don't think they'll go easy on you just because some of them have been heroes themselves, Ís! In fact it's going to be just the opposite!"

"Nine, please! Do something! Robbie still isn't conscious!" whimpers Sportacus convincingly desperate and sits up. There are streaks of dried in tears on his cheeks and although he's facing the other elf now, one of his hands is still holding Robbie's hand and feeling his pulse.

Internally he's torn between nervousness because of their plan and a strange relaxation because of the, although also excited strong and quick, steady heartbeat beneath his fingers.

His boyfriend is okay for now. But his silent and motionless acting with a painful frown on his face is just as convincing as Sportacus' begging for help and his slight panic he's presenting on his outside now.

Of course all he gets from Nine is mock.

"You should be glad about that. At least he won't try to kill you. Or _talk_ to you. He surely is one of the most dangerous creatures of the world, but his constant rambling and complaining may be even worse!" he laughs coolly and throws a small apple into the cage "Here. Don't want you to claim that I didn't treat you well."

The hero glances at the apple on the ground next to him then he points at Robbie "You know that he doesn't…"

"Feeding a felf is against the law. And I surely won't risk that he becomes strong again because of any food!" another laugh then Nine turns away with the words "Either you eat it or you don't. I really don't care…"

Sportacus doesn't react. He watches the other walk over to a shelf in the wall and grabbing a book before sitting down on a chair near one of the greater windows. The guards are currently pedaling and lowly discussing something…

Now or never.

Sportacus silently lays down next to his boyfriend again and carefully cups his cheek as the silent sign that they'll have to pull it through now.

Robbie opens one eye a bit and gives his boyfriend a soft, soothing smile, then he reaches for the prepared bubblegum and sets to work. He chews it a little, tasting the slightly sweeter flavor but managing to don't wash the sugar out with his spit but only work it long enough so he can start to make a bubble.

A small bubble.

And before it can explode he brings his hands around it close enough to focus his magic and freeze the form.

The practice pays off.

He's working quick and efficiently, and produces seven frozen bubbles like this.

He feels a little worn out now but strangely euphoric as well.

Sportacus silently sits up now again, grabs the rubber band and the head of the spoon and carefully places one of the bubbles into it so he now got a self-made slingshot.

A deep breath.

Ignoring his feverish dizziness.

Focus.

He aims for the ventilation fans in the wall like Robbie explained to him earlier.

Another deep breath.

One shot, one hit.

It takes him far more concentration and time than it would have if he felt better.

But all that counts are the seven small frozen bubbles inside the ventilation system now…waiting to melt and set their sweet content free…

He swallows hard and looks down at Robbie again. The felf smiles softly, encouragingly and does a small sign for him to lay down again.

A little puzzled the hero does.

"…Now…we just can wait…" with a small smile, Robbie pulls him closer and explains under his breath "If it works, Nine and the others won't notice until it's too late and they get knocked out by the sweet dust that gets spread inside here by the ventilation fans… But you can't hold your breath the whole time so the same thing won't happen to you. So…let's try to…reduce the effect on you a little… Breathe in through your mouth, Sportacus."

"What do you…" the hero only understands when Robbie presses their slightly parted lips together again while deeply breathing in through his nose first and then carefully exhaling into his boyfriend's mouth.

Sportacus doesn't need to practice this.

He reflexively accepts the air slightly filtered by Robbie's lungs at once and breathes out through his nose a few seconds later…

They immediately have a rhythm.

And Robbie can't help but to compare this to the day they've been dancing together in the hero's airship.

It's a different rhythm.

But somehow it feels strangely familiar as well…


	123. Escape!?

It worked…

It _actually_ worked!

Robbie realizes that…when he feels his stomach turn.

And it turns…because the airship does the same.

The felf groans lowly. He forgot how sensitive he still reacts on this rocking…

Carefully he ends the ventilating kiss and searches his boyfriend's eyes. He doesn't look well…at all. But he forces a small smile on his lips. The felf shortly, lovingly strokes his cheek, then he sits up and looks around. All three elves are knocked out. Nine in the chair with the book in his lap, one guard is lying on the floor of the kitchen part of the room and the other one is hanging unconsciously in the cockpit.

"Well, he should _definitely_ not be flying anymore…" murmurs Robbie more to himself to fight his nervousness, then he notices the small apple on the ground, grabs it and helps Sportacus to sit up before holding him the fruit "Here. This might help you to get back some color in your face, Sportapale…"

The hero accepts the food with a weak, thankful smile but protests feebly "…But…the door… I have to…"

"Oh, leave that to me for once…" the felf grabs the screwdriver and shifts over to the door. While working on the lock he explains with a light blush "I need to keep myself busy otherwise I'll get sick… We need to replace the pilot…"

"…and to land," Sportacus nods while slowly chewing on the apple and when his boyfriend gives him a short look he adds "Don't worry. I can do that. Really."

"Good."

The lock gives in and Robbie can sense that the magic barrier of it is already gone as well. Probably because all three of the people who usually keep it upright are knocked out on their magic energy level. Something that isn't the case when they're just asleep…

Carefully he crawls out of the cage. Thereby he has to ignore the fear of the power of the crystal by reminding himself that Nine can't control it anymore either…

Sportacus follows him while he's still eating the apple. He's still pale but he pulls himself together. "We should lock them in the cage."

"Good idea," the felf nods but immediately cuts the hero's attempt to walk over to the unconscious elf in the cockpit off "Let _me_ handle this. You need your strength for flying this thing!"

"…Okay… But…be careful. Don't hurt yourself…" pleads Sportacus lowly and looks away. He hates feeling this dazzled and weak… And he has to take a small bite of the apple every few minutes because otherwise he can feel his eyelids growing heavy in the first signs of a sneaky sugar meltdown.

Silently he watches Robbie pull the guard away and drag him to the cage, then he takes his place in the cockpit.

After a few seconds he announces "We can't land."

"What?" the felf is already busy getting the second guard into the cage and is glad that his stomach is slowly recovering already "Why not?"

"We're flying above water. The sea I guess…"

"Oh, just great… So… What direction now? Home? Or…" Robbie can't help the light shiver running down his spine. Sportacus doesn't need to see him to hear his fear "What kind of question is that even? It's about time we get back where we both truly belong!"

"And then we'll send these…not so blue elves off again. Alone!" carefully the inventor removes the crystal from Nine's pocket with a tissue and puts it in the nearest closet.

"Exactly!" Sportacus laughs lowly, weakly and turns the ship around. The thought of finally getting Robbie into safety again gives him new strength.

Strength that he'll need.

Because what Robbie isn't aware of is a decision the hero just made.

The decision not to tell his boyfriend about the red substance, slowly but steadily running out of his nose…


	124. Blood!?

"…We both know I suck at sports… But I could pedal for a few minutes so you could rest, though…" suggests Robbie carefully while getting his boyfriend a banana from the small storage room of the airship "Really. That's no big deal. I…"

"Sit down and get some rest yourself. I'm fine," the hero takes the fruit without looking at the other.

The felf furrows his brows. He couldn't help the feeling that something isn't right with his friend since they're on their way home and his strange, almost rough answer now is just as uncharacteristic of him as the shaking of his hand when he reaches for the banana.

"Sport, are you sure…" Robbie stops in shock "Sportacus! Your shirt! You're bleeding! What…" his eyes move from the elf's sleeve to his face and he feels the color leaving his own face "Your nose! What's wrong?!?" he can't help that his voice breaks multiple times out of sheer panic. The hero shortly closes his eyes. He really hoped that the other wouldn't notice. But as so often, he underestimated the felf.

"I'm okay, Robbie," his voice is forced calm, but his attempt of a smile fails miserably "That's just…a light nosebleed. Nothing to worry about…"

"Bullshit!" the inventor doesn't even know where this came from, but he doesn't care either and rants on "You get out of this cockpit this instant and lay down! I'm no doctor but considering your current condition I don't think a nosebleed is a good sign!"

"You can't fly the ship."

"I studied the plans, I know how it works. And since I'm a wanted criminal already, I don't mind a speeding ticket or a punishment for flying without license."

"You're afraid of heights!"

"I can ignore that for some minutes."

"Robbie…"

"No!" the felf folds his arms and shakes his head "Just for once, Sportacus, do what I say and let me help you save us!"

A few seconds of silence.

Then Sportacus finally reaches out with his hands to grab Robbie's. His voice is shaking even worse than his body "…I'm not sure…what is wrong with me… But it's _not_ because of your plan, so stop thinking that!" he takes a labored breath in and lets the felf drag him to the bed then he searches his boyfriend's eyes "…I'm here. And I'm just as scared as you. But I'll be fine. I'm sure about that. I just…need a moment…"

Robbie nods and lovingly strokes through his hair "Silly blue elf… Stop lying to me. I'm no child. I can see that something isn't right…" his eyes shortly move to the cage with the three elves in it and his voice takes on a strange tone "…And Nine better has nothing to do with it…"

But both of them know: of course, he does…


	125. Hate!?

"…This is a…film. Yes. A documentary about…life up in the sky! And…it shows the first perspective…of a seagull… Yeah… A seagull… Because we're still flying over the sea! Damn it! Where is the land?!? We can't possibly have gone this far on the way to Iceland already! …Can we?…" Robbie feels his heart beating faster and his vision gets a little blurry.

Until now talking to himself was enough to distract him from his fear of heights. But now that he allowed himself a moment of weakness not only his fear caught up with him, but his exhaustion as well. His legs are hurting from the pedaling and he's shaking.

"…If I want to pull this through…and I _have_ to then I'll need - and I can't believe it is I who says that - Sportsc-"

The sound of low retching interrupts him.

"Sportacus!" without thinking about it he jumps out of the cockpit, knowing that the autopilot will at least keep them from crashing or falling from the sky for as long as their energy is still there, and hurries back to the bed.

There he gets a light shock.

Sportacus is sweating heavily, writhing on the bed with closed eyes and a painful frown on his face while still heaving dryly…

"…Sportacus…" his voice cracks and his shaking fingers carefully brush over the hero's hot forehead "Sportacus… Wake up…"

The elf winces lightly and moves his lips in a mute "Robbie," but then he gets shaken through by more spasms of retching and his nose starts bleeding heavily again. The felf feels a strange sting in his heart, but he acts completely reflexively.

First he hurries into the bathroom and gets two rags. One with warm and one with cold water. When he returns he carefully turns the hero on his side and puts the cold rag in the back of his neck like he saw it in a movie one day, securing it there with one hand while he very gently cleans his face off the blood with the other rag.

He's shaking.

What if his movie knowledge isn't going to work?

What if his boyfriend is about to bleed to death and he's too stupid to help him properly?!

Robbie tries not to think about this. It's hard enough already to keep the other relatively still although his body still convulses with the need to throw up every few minutes.

What is going on?

How can Sportacus, the obvious embodiment of health, suddenly fall this sick??

The answer is still unconsciously lying in the cage not too far away from them…

At this sight Robbie feels even stronger anger boiling up inside of him, slowly turning into something more solid even: hatred.

And a kind of hatred he's never felt before in his entire life…

He doesn't move for over twenty minutes.

Then the bleeding has finally stopped and Sportacus just coughs weakly then and now.

Robbie can sense that his boyfriend's energy is still fading.

Slowly.

But scaring steadily…

"…This can't be happening… This _mustn't_ happen! I-I…can't lose you! I **_need_** you!!!" the felf feels like breaking into hysteric sobs while lovingly stroking through the blonde, sweat wet hair.

But the tears won't come.

It's like they got stuck…

Stuck by something even stronger than panic right now…

With gleaming eyes he turns his head and makes a momentous decision…


	126. Breath!?

Robbie's heart beats up to his throat.

He has never done anything like this before.

Who has?!

But he sees no other way…

With a deep breath in he opens the door of the cage.

With a long exhale he crawls inside next to the still unconscious Nine and uses the cable tie he found in one of the closets to secure his hands on his back.

With the next inhale he strains himself once again to drag the limp elf out of the cage and towards the pole. There he ties him to it with a thick rope.

The elder shouldn't be able to move much like this. At least not as long as he's still weakened by the sugar he breathed in…

But unconscious like this he's of no use for the felf either.

Robbie nervously looks down on the apple in his hand.

He's afraid and wouldn't even feel ashamed to admit it this time.

It's like waking up a dangerous animal that hasn't eaten in… No…

No!

Angry about these thoughts, Robbie clenches his free hand into a fist.

If he starts thinking like Nine and the other elves that want felves like him taken out of the game called life, he'd be more villain than ever before! And that's not what he wants. He's not like that…

A weak coughing from the bed interrupts his thoughts and reminds him that he has no time to lose.

With another deep breath in Robbie focuses again and takes another step closer to his prisoner…


	127. Insult!?

His hand is shaking.

Badly.

But he can't help it.

He can't hide his fear.

It's rooted too deep inside of him since he was a kid.

Since the day he met Nine for the first time in his life…

He didn't like him.

And he was somehow scared of him even before he did something wrong for the first time and got ranted at by him… Maybe both of them sensed that the other wasn't really who he appeared to be…

But despite his fear he always did his best to stand his ground against the full grown man.

And that's exactly what he has to do now again.

Another deep inhale and he whispers to himself "He can't hurt you anymore. You took away the crystal. You can stand this. You _have_ to stand this!"

His grip on the knife in his hand tightens.

He has to do this for Sportacus…

Swallowing thickly he takes the knife to the apple in his other hand to cut a small slice out of it. Thereby he mumbles "…At least Nine _has_ knives and stuff in his airship. Unlike Sportaflop. God knows what he uses to cut his Sportscandy…"

Talking is good.

Talking to himself as well.

And complaining to himself about random stuff always helped him to calm down…

He cuts a tiny piece off the slice, puts the apple and the knife on the ground next to him, kneels down in front of the elf sitting on the ground, secured to the pole behind him and carefully puts the tiny apple piece into his mouth.

Then he sits down cross-legged in a safe distance that doesn't necessary hint on fear and waits.

Several minutes pass.

Just when Robbie starts thinking about giving him another, bigger piece of the apple…

"…You…little piece of…shit…"

It's strange.

But hearing this insult in Nine's weak but hatred filled voice somehow calms the felf "And you!"


	128. Bastard!?

"What did you do to Sportacus?"

"Me? I didn't do anything, _felf_!" Nine glares at Robbie " _You_ are the bastard that brings death and destruction!"

"But I didn't infect or poison him. I _love_ him. Whether _you_ like it or not, Nine. And I know this goes against everything you believe in, but I would _never_ purposefully hurt him," Robbie doesn't know how he does it, but he's completely calm. At least on the outside…

"This proves that you don't know such things as family and the relation of blood! Why would I hurt anybody of my own kin!?"

"Why would I hurt the man I love? The man that has become my family?"

"You are _not capable_ of experiencing love!" spats the restraint elf and pulls at the rope securing him to the pole "You are a ticking time bomb! Nothing else!"

"What did you do?" the felf's voice sounds strangely broken and empty "What is happening with Sportacus?"

"You won't get through with this. You just proved how dangerous you are by escaping. And no matter where you flee you won't be able to…"

"This is _not_ about _me_!" hisses Robbie now sharply and points at the suffering hero in the bed "This is about _him_! This is all I care about! _He_ has to be all right! No matter the price…" he swallows thickly but stands Nine's gleaming eyes "…Please…"

A pause.

"I didn't poison or infect Ís," the elder gives him a cold smirk "…He did that all by himself…"


	129. Rebel!?

"I won't let you manipulate me anymore!" Robbie's voice is shaking, but he's trying to fight his upcoming doubts at his own words "Sportacus didn't…"

"Not deliberately. But his lack of respect for the Elders of his own kin simply backfired at him," Nine gives the felf such a smug grin as if he is the one in control and not the restrained one. Desperate anger is boiling up inside the inventor when he hisses through gritted teeth "Sportacus respects everyone who deserves it! And _you_ and your _Elders_ don't!"

" _His_ mistake to believe that!" snaps the elf back "Do you think Ís is the only trained hero that gets off track?! And that we aren't prepared for rebels like him?! He dared to get violent against me. I only defended myself. Reflexively. It was his own…"

" _What_ did you _do_???" Robbie pushes the elder back against the pole, glaring at him.

Every trace of fear is gone.

All he can think of is Sportacus suffering on the bed…maybe even fighting for his life…

"It was the usual curse we use. But it probably got worse effect on him because he was weakened by _your_ attack before!"

" **I did _not_ attack him! It was an accident! Because _you_ were torturing me with this damn crystal!**" yells Robbie angrily before he quickly forces himself to calm down by reminding himself that it doesn't matter who's fault it is right now but how he can help his friend "What does this 'curse' mean anyway? Are you elves _that_ crazy?!"

Nine glares at him with actual offense "It's just what we call it for you people who have no idea of our culture! Of course it's no real curse!"

"I thought I'm the dangerous felf with the uncontrollable power?! So I should be able to understand what this _really_ is, don't you think so!?" growls Robbie forced lowly.

He doesn't really believe his own words.

How could he?

He still doesn't know how to fully control his own powers so how could he understand how elvish magic works?

But he's gotta try…

"And why do you believe that I'll tell you?" the elder huffs out a mocking laugh.

"Because except of Sportacus I've got nothing to lose," he leans forward a little and for the first time in his life he feels like he could actually be a bad guy and _really_ hurt someone "And I'm ready to do _everything_ to save him. So either you tell me exactly what is wrong with him now…or we'll see whether your fear of my power is justified after all…"


	130. Virus!?

Of course Nine wouldn't give in without picking up a fight.

Robbie knew that.

But he hoped otherwise…

Panting he's standing in front of the kneeling Nine still tied to the pole behind his back.

He's dizzy.

And shaking.

And he's shocked.

Shocked about himself.

About what he _actually_ is capable of…

All the while Nine is grinning wickedly like mad at him while blood is running out of his nose.

The Elder's breath goes just as labored as Robbie's, but despite the obvious pain he is in he seems to be extremely satisfied.

Unlike the felf.

Robbie is struggling with himself.

He hurt Nine.

He isn't really sure _how_ he did it, but he didn't touch him in any way.

Not physically at least…

It was more like a blur.

But he remembers that when the elf started laughing and mocking him that he doesn't have the guts to do what's necessary to help his friend he instinctively reached for this strange energy that he could feel ascending from Nine.

He wasn't aware of what he was doing until he mentally focused on it…and pulled.

It was easy.

Easier than pulling a real rope.

And then Nine was gasping out as if he was suffocating.

It was a horrible sound to the felf's ears.

But he didn't stop.

He couldn't stop.

Not until the Elder was desperately pulling at the ropes, writhing and trying to break free with pure terror reflecting in his eyes.

Only then he backed off.

Shaking and horrified and overwhelmed by what he did.

Nine recovered quicker than him.

And now they're staring at each other and the elder leaves no doubt that he's enjoying Robbie's obvious distress "Congratulations. You just…proved that you…are what you…are… Enjoyed it?"

"N-No! I… Y-You… _forced_ me to…"

"Of course. Keep telling…yourself that…" pants the elf and even manages a breathless laugh, recovering surprisingly quickly "You just experienced power. For the first time in your paltry life. Soon you'll fall for it. Like all the others did…"

"…Sportacus…" Robbie's voice is shaking even worse than the rest of his body and he can't fight the tears anymore "…What…did you do to him?…"

"Easy said, his metabolism believes it's fighting a strong virus. In fact it's just a small manipulation of his energy flow…"

"Set it right!"

"I can't. Even if I wanted to, I couldn't. The energy has to fall in rhythm by itself, and therefore his body has to fight the 'sickness'."

" **But why is he getting worse instead of better then???** " Robbie doesn't realize that he's yelling out of pure desperation by now.

"Do I look like a doctor to you?" spats Nine and glares at the felf "All I know is that criminal elves that get stopped and arrested by us like this get a medical treatment of our specialists for a few days afterwards. Then they get moved to prison…" a light smile washes over his face "…You know what that means…"

Robbie gets even dizzier and he swallows thickly.

Yes.

He does know what that means…


	131. Deal!?

It's warm…

Too warm.

Hot!

With a weak groan he opens his eyes a bit and swallows hard.

The little light that invades his eyes is enough to cause a heavy headache and he whines lowly.

What is going on?

What has happened?

Where is he?

And…where is…

"…R…o…bbie…" Sportacus' voice sounds horribly strained and weak and almost strange to his own ears. Talking hurts his throat, but the feeling in his heart is worse "Robbie… Where…are…you?…"

The elf feels sick and dizzy and he tries to force himself to remember what has happened before he fell unconscious…

But all that his brain is screaming at him is 'Light! Far too bright light!!' and he realizes that this is how Robbie felt when he woke up in his airship for the first time…

Airship!

Like a bat it hits him and he remembers that he and Robbie overtook Nine's airship and he was flying it back to LazyTown until he felt too horrible and Robbie took his place and…

" **Robbie!** " despite all the pain and dizziness, Sportacus sits up with a low cry for his boyfriend. He's terrified that he can't sense his presence. And that the bed he's lying in feels different than the one in Nine's ship and that the whole place appears different and so horribly bright and…

His dizziness is stronger than him.

He's barely sat up, he already falls back again.

But two hands on his back catch him.

Strong hands.

"Easy."

Sportacus feels an ice cold shiver running down his otherwise still hot body.

His breathing hitches.

"Easy, Ís."

When he hears this name the hero can't help it.

With a reflexive jerk he turns onto his side and starts to choke.

One of the hands holds him a metal bowl while Sportacus vomits for the first time since his childhood…

It doesn't seem to find an end…

But when his stomach finally is empty he rolls back onto his back, dizzy and completely exhausted.

"Don't worry. The doctors say that this is normal. It will go on like this for a few days, so…"

"Robbie…" the young elf tries to focus and his eyes move to the side where he can see the Elder standing next to his bed "…What…did you…do? Where…is…he?…"

"Well, you should be more interested in where _you_ are, Ís," Nine smiles almost genuinely "You're at the hospital. In your hometown."

The hero feels his heart doing a jump "W-What???"

"Yes. We're in Iceland. And no matter how horrible you may feel now, the doctors said that you'll be all right again within a week or so. And for Robbie…" the Elder's smile turns darker "…I didn't do anything to him. He simply…agreed to the deal…"


	132. Sacrifice!?

It's cold…

And lonely.

And - he wouldn't have thought it possible that _he_ among all people would complain about this someday - awfully silent!

But…

It could be worse…

Much worse.

In fact he's aware that it will _get_ worse!

But when?

In a few minutes?

Hours?

Days?

How long is he here already anyway?

He doesn't know.

How could he?

The only thing he sees are awfully bright white walls.

Four of them.

Surrounding him.

And they're all the same length and the door is barely visible as long as it's closed like now.

He already checked all that.

And he slept.

But he doesn't know for how long.

So either he's in here for a few hours or a day he'd guess…

Or maybe two days?

Possible.

Everything seems possible to him right now…

He sighs lowly and stands up from the small, hard, also bright white bed that came out of the wall when he got brought inside here.

What do elves _have_ with this white and bright rooms and airships?!

He sighs lowly.

Is that really his main concern now?

Of course not.

But once he's awake his brain desperately searches for _any_ other thought or question that could distract him from his stinging concern for Sportacus.

Will Nine truly stick to their deal and keep his promise?

What if he hasn't brought Sportacus to a hospital yet?

What if his claim that he only is interested in catching Robbie and not in punishing the town hero, and that he even _cares_ for him in a twisted way was nothing but a lie?

What if his boyfriend is already facing a court and gets sentenced to prison or death or whatever happens here with…'traitors'?

Robbie's heartbeat quickens and he has to lean against the nearest wall and breathe through a new wave of nausea.

He hasn't eaten in days if he remembers correctly.

But he isn't sure if he'd be able to eat anything without knowing where his boyfriend is even if they offered him something…

"…Please…be okay… You _have_ to be okay!" a lonely tear rolls down his cheek, reminding him that he also hasn't drunk anything for the same amount of time.

But that doesn't matter either.

"…Nine didn't leave me a choice…" his voice is low and strained and he finishes the thought in his head because his throat is so dry that talking hurts.

It was either giving back the control of the airship and letting the older elf pick up the trail to Iceland where they could help the fevered Sportacus to survive what the Elder did to him before…or letting his boyfriend suffer a slow, painful, albeit uncertain death…

Robbie didn't need to think about it and agreed to the deal.

But he also didn't have to ask what this meant for him…

Was it a sacrifice?

Maybe.

Probably.

But what does 'sacrifice' mean anyway?…

Nine was confident about his victory at least.

Enough so to even allow Robbie to stay at Sportacus' side the whole flight.

He didn't have to return to the cage. He sat on the bed, the hero's upper body on his lap, and stroked through his hair, whispering loving, soothing encouragements into his ear.

And yes, even some silly promises that he could never keep.

But it was worth it.

And as weird as it may sound…he felt a strange gratitude to Nine for granting him these last hours with the one person he ever truly, deeply…intimately loved…

He even was allowed to kiss Sportacus one last time after their arrival in Iceland and the elvish town, before Nine's guards escorted him out of the airship and into a huge building.

A short talk with another guard, few minutes and a long, white corridor later, he found himself in his current residence.

The felf closes his eyes.

He imagines to be able to still feel the soft, but unnaturally hot skin of Sportacus' lips pressing onto his own…

More tears come up.

Robbie can't help it anymore.

He turns and leans with his back against the wall now, slowly slides down on it until he's sitting on the white floor and hugs his knees close to his chest.

He's crying shamelessly by now.

He's scared.

He wants to be home again with Sportacus and the kids and the mayor and Miss Busybody. With his _family_!

He…doesn't want to die alone…

And partly with a shock, partly with bitter amusement Robbie realizes that for the very first time in his life he prays to get a hallucination…

But…

No matter how hard he prays…

It won't come.


	133. Gift!?

Hot tears stream down his face.

He doesn't care.

How could he?

The Elder has just told him what his boyfriend did to save his life.

His body is getting shaken through by heavy sobs and he begs shamelessly "Please, Nine! You **_have_** to stop whatever will happen to him! Robbie isn't dangerous! He's vulnerable and all alone! Whatever you are going to do with him, he won't be able to survive it! He…"

"I'm fulfilling my part of the deal by taking care of you. And he's fulfilling his. I can't do anything anymore for either of you. You won't get punished in any other way than that you get dismissed of your hero duties. We'll find something else for you to do, Ís. But for now…" Nine turns to the door to leave the small room with only Sportacus' bed in it "…rest. When you've recovered we'll see… Oh. Before I forget it. The felf wanted you to have this. It's only a replica of course…" he takes something out of his pocket and puts it in the younger one's hand then he leaves without a single word.

Sportacus feels like he should start to cry even more hysteric now, but…he can't.

His eyes are fixed on the fake crystal in his hand…which…doesn't appear to be so fake at all…


	134. Fake!?

That isn't Nine's, or better his former own crystal.

That is the one Robbie and Pixel created with Robbie's machine in his lair.

"…But…why did Robbie want me to have it and why didn't he just put it in my pocket but gave it to Nine? And why…is it surrounded by energy? It's almost like…a bubble… Didn't Nine sense that?…" with shaking hands Sportacus starts to examine the stone more precisely. It looks perfectly normal to him. But he can feel its power. A power that lays beneath this protecting bubble of energy that somehow must've fooled the elder into believing that the stone was completely fake and therefore powerless…

Is it possible that Robbie…did something with the stone on purpose? But…he can't control his power… Can he? Subconsciously maybe?…

The door to his room gets opened and despite his shock, Sportacus is quick-witted enough to hide the stone beneath the cover and under his back.

"Number Ten?" the nurse that looks into the room smiles friendly.

First Ís, now Number Ten.

How is he supposed to get used to that?

Why can't he just be Sportacus?…

"…Yes?…" his uneasiness is reflected in his voice but mixes with his weakness so it's not that audible.

"You have a visitor."

 

 

The door opens.

Robbie nearly jumps up out of surprise, but he's too exhausted and…he doesn't really care anyway…

"Rotten?" a great, muscular elf in a white coat enters his cell, behind him on either side two even greater and better build guards.

Robbie doesn't move or answer. He stays on the ground still hugging his knees to his chest, on his face streaks of tears.

"Robbie Rotten?" repeats the white clothed elf.

He nods once.

Powerlessly.

The guards step closer, positioning themselves on either side of him now.

The third elf looks down on him with an almost soft smile "We're taking you to the lab now to run some tests on you," he raises his hand and does a strange, slow circling motion with it "Relax."

Robbie doesn't know what exactly happens in his brain.

But the next second he blacks out.


	135. Awake!?

His brain struggles.

He doesn't want it to, but it follows its instinct.

And like this it fights its way back into consciousness…

"I thought you said that you put him asleep for the whole first phase of the procedure, Doctor?"

"I did."

"But he's waking up."

"Impossible! That…" the voice of the white clothed elf stops for a moment before it continues surprised and much lower "You are right… How is that possible?"

There it is again.

This sudden pressure in his brain that put him asleep before…

But this time he fights it.

Involuntarily.

His brain simply acts on its own, just like when he woke up…

"I've never…had a subject like this before… I don't know how he does it but… I can't put him back to sleep again."

"Well, figuring out _how_ he does that is your job, right?! I told you this one is different than the others. I _warned_ you!"

That's…Nine's voice…

Slowly Robbie's senses return to him as well and he falls out of his uninterested mood.

What is Nine doing here while he gets 'examined'?

And why is he waking up although he obviously shouldn't be able to?…

He can't think about that much longer, because once his whole body is awake again not just his brain, he becomes aware of the pain.

Pain in his arms.

Pain in his chest.

Pain in his abdomen.

He gasps out.

His eyes fly open and he tries to move.

But that's impossible.

He's restrained to an examination table.

"We need to sedate him biologically. He's not responsive to the usual methods in any way!" that was the doctor again.

Robbie whimpers. His eyes dart around unfocused, but all he can see is the white ceiling above him.

"If you do that, we'll probably lose control over him and then half of the tests won't work! And we won't get any access to his brain anymore once it got shut down like this!"

"I can't proceed while he's awake! Not in this phase! You can see that he's in pain already!"

"You have a _job_ , Doctor. And that is _not_ to keep this examination easy for him! We _need_ the _results_!"

" _Not_ by _torturing_ him!"

"Doc…"

Robbie doesn't understand the next exchange of arguments.

He's too occupied by breathing through the burning sensation and only realizes now that he's instinctively been translating the Icelandic exchange of the two elves into the language he knows much better - English.

And he also realizes that the burning pain must come mainly from the blue lines in his body… He doesn't care that the others are discussing about how to treat him as if he was an animal.

A lab rat.

Maybe that's what he is…always has been…

A genetically manipulated lab rat that was created by accident and escaped the laboratory…

Until now…

He dully registers that the arguing has stopped before a face appears in his sight. The felf can barely see it through his tears but he supposes it's the doctor. The low, almost soft voice adds to this assumption "Rotten… Robbie. Take deep breaths. The pain will cease in a few minutes…"

A soothing hand runs along his bare arm.

It hurts.

But…not as bad as before…

Whatever this doctor has been doing to him, Robbie assumes that he stopped with it now…

Slowly, very slowly, the pain leaves his body and he starts to tremble violently instead.

The fire is replaced by ice as it seems…

"…C-Cold…" Robbie doesn't know why he whimpers that.

And the least thing he expected was a reaction.

But just a few seconds later he can feel the restraints snapping open and a warming blanket that is spread over his body.

The felf doesn't know what is going on and why all this is happening now.

But right now he couldn't care less.

His body gives in to his overwhelming exhaustion and within seconds Robbie has fallen into a deathlike but this time natural sleep…


	136. Evidence!?

"…Who _are_ you?…" asks Sportacus for the fourth time now while watching the other elf in the strange, wide clothes walk around the room along the wall as if he's searching for something.

No reaction.

The other continues with his search for several more minutes, even going so far as to check the frame and underside of Sportacus' bed.

When he finally straightens up next to the bed and looks at the lying man, the hero just stares back in awe.

"I had to make sure that there are no security measures or energy fields that would mean they're watching and overhearing everything that is going on in here. But apparently they lost their interest in you now…"

Sportacus eyes grow wide.

The moment the other started talking he couldn't help the feeling that something about his voice…sounded scaring familiar…

"…Who… Who are you?…" his own voice is shaking and low "…What…do you want from me?…"

The other, older elf eyes him for a moment.

Then he says flatly "I know who you are and how and why you got here. I'm on your side. And I'm probably the only one you can trust in this town."

Sportacus still feels sick and confused and his chest feels incredible tight each time his thoughts drift off to Robbie.

What they do every few seconds by now…

"I don't understand. And you still haven't answered my question. Who are you?"

"That doesn't matter. I know who _you_ are," the other folds his arms, his gaze calm but hard "You are Sportacus. Hero of LazyTown. A friend of the felf Robbie Rotten who is kept in quarantine for three days now already."

The town hero's head buzzes but he tries to appear strong "Knowing that…doesn't prove that you are on my side."

"We don't have much time for trust proofs now. Time's running out for your friend. And we'll need your help to free him."

"W-What?" his headache becomes worse but he forces himself to think straight and not give in to any tempting hope too fast "You don't… How can I be sure that…"

He gets interrupted by an answer that contains only three words but is stronger than any argument "Stephanie sent me."


	137. Power Play!?

"…Sportacus…" his own whimper wakes him up and he opens his eyes with a low groan.

His vision is blurred, but in front of him is the silhouette of a person. He isn't sure whether he puts any hope in his voice now "…Sportacus?…"

"No."

The hand that touches Robbie's forehead now is warm and gentle. But the felf reflexively pushes it off and sits up with a jerk. He gets dizzy at once but holds himself upright with the aid of both his arms. His breath comes in labored gasps and he has to blink a few times to focus and recognize the elvish doctor now.

The moment he does, he can't help a wince and tries to shift away from him.

"Easy," the elf takes a step away from the table the prisoner is sitting on "I won't hurt you, Robbie."

Robbie feels like yelling 'Oh no?! You already did!', but he just stares at the other, knowing that his eyes probably give away his fear and confusion.

The doctor stands his gaze for a moment then he explains gently "You're weakened. That's why you feel this…"

"Why did you stop?" the felf's question is low and surprises even himself.

"Because we don't want to torture you. Normally you wouldn't have felt _any_ of the first examination, if you hadn't woken up from the psych sedation. During all my time here, this hasn't happened. I've never even heard of such cases. And while you've been resting I checked it and couldn't find any files about this phenomenon either…" the elf tilts his head while still looking at the man on the bed "There's some source of strength in you…that appears to go beyond the usual felvish magic…"

Robbie can't help the feeling that he becomes more and more the lab rat for these people, although this doctor at least didn't proceed with the 'torture' earlier…

"How…could you stand up against Nine like that?…" he changes his position a bit, sitting more hunched over now. His hands find the thin blanket he's been covered with until he woke up and nervously start playing with the fabric.

The doctor laughs "The Elders might have more powers than anybody else in our realm, but they by far can't do _everything_. They still need the results people like _me_ get them to make their decisions and judgments. So here, in this room they may _suggest_ certain procedures and methods, but I _decide_ what _really_ will be done. And…as I said, I have no intention in hurting you any worse than absolute necessary. That's why I interrupted the first examination. But…after you recovered a little we'll have to continue with the next tests…" he walks over to a table, takes a glass with water and returns to the felf "Drink… It'll do you good."

Hesitatingly Robbie takes the offered glass and a careful sip, telling himself that if the other would like to see him dead he had every opportunity to do so.

It's a small reassurance.

But the biggest he can allow himself now.


	138. Believe!?

He can't believe it.

How _could_ he believe it?!

How could he believe that Stephanie and the others got the idea to take _his_ airship to follow Nine's and try to rescue Robbie and him?

How could he believe that Pixel managed to read the board computer and find out where in Iceland the elf realm is located and they landed the airship in a clearing nearby?

And that this clearing was exactly near the wooden hut of this elf who, for what reason ever, lives there and, after hearing their explanation agreed to help them.

 _How_ could he believe _any_ of that?!

He can't.

But it's true.

He's holding the proof right in his shaking hands now.

"…Are you…okay, Sport? You appear…even paler than before…"

"Y-Yes…" Sportacus doesn't notice that he's crying before the first tear drops down on the paper with the unmistakable handwriting of Stephanie on it…and…a sticky spot that must be from Ziggy's candy "…Yes… You…" he looks up and into the other elf's eyes "…You really…want to help us? This is no trick?"

"Boy, the position you're currently in doesn't require a trick to finish you off once and for all. Neither for Robbie. So come on," the other turns around.

"What? Wait! I… I can't leave! I'm…of no use for you like this! I can barely stand up. Nine said that I need to stay here for at least a week before I'm fit enough… And what if he comes back and…I'm not here?! He'll get suspicious…"

"We don't have time to think about this. Robbie's trial is gonna start tomorrow and they'll sentence him to The Cleansing that's as good as sure…"

"…The…what?…"

"I'll explain it later. Now…" he offers Sportacus his hand "…I'll take you to my house. The others are already waiting for you."

The hero hesitates "Why… Why are you doing this?… I'm sorry. It's not that I don't trust you! I just…" his voice shakes a little "Robbie…is a felf. Aren't you afraid that he… Don't you share most people's fear of his kin?…"

"The doings of an individual can't be forecasted just on the basis of its race," replies the other still this strangely calm, before for a second there's a different emotion in his eyes "And I…have my reasons to help you…and him…"


	139. Lab Rat!?

Watching your own blood dripping into a machine that analyses it and prints out countless numbers of medical data isn't really helpful when you already feel like a lab rat…

"…Robbie?…"

He blinks and raises his gaze from the small, flexible tube that is channeling the blood from his arm into the bag next to said machine that then lets it drip into it.

He blinks slowly, his vision a little blurred "…Hm?…"

The doctor steps over from the printer with several papers in his hands "I've got some medical counts here that I don't understand… Even for a felf, and for the fact that you've been under quite some stress here, your adrenaline counts are incredible high. While your blood sugar is almost dangerously low… Are you under any medication?"

"…Medication?…" echoes the felf confused and wipes his face "…No… I'm not… Why would I be?"

"I'm just asking. Your temperature also is risen. And I can neither find a cause for that, nor for your obviously confused metabolism…" he gives him a meaningful look "Do you know what that means?"

Robbie just stares at him, utterly confused now.

"It means that we can't take any further steps in this examination process until I figured out what's wrong with you, Mister Rotten," the white clothed elf smiles softly and winks "It would spoil the results. You need to be healthy. So…" he walks over to a closet and takes a stethoscope out, then he returns with a gentle, soothing smile "We're going to have to start with a complete different examination now…"

Robbie needs a moment to process this sudden change of the situation.

But it's only the moment the doctor carefully takes his wrist to feel his pulse that he realizes what he's doing: he's buying him time.

He doesn't know what for or whether it's for his good or just some sort of trick.

But he feels thankful and actually relieved and isn't really thinking about it when he now answers all of the elf's questions concerning his health truthfully while the other proceeds with preparing and doing some elemental examination procedures…


	140. Iron!?

"Járn, please…slow down…" Sportacus leans against the stone wall next to him.

His head is spinning and he feels sick again.

Why didn't he stay in the hospital?

Why did he follow this strange elf that obviously still didn't tell him his _real_ name.

'Járn' - Iron.

Either he had no better idea the moment the hero insisted on finally getting to know his name, or he actually uses this as his pseudonym, too afraid to tell anybody his real name…

He is an outlaw after all.

At least according to his own, very short and superficial explanation of why he lives alone in the forest.

And shortly after this explanation he convinced Sportacus to leave the hospital 'at own risk' to follow him to his house where his friends of LazyTown are hiding now as well, already waiting for him.

There they would come up with a plan to save Robbie…

A tiny voice deep inside the hero tells him that this is insane and most of all far too vague to actually take such a great risk and leave the hospital, although he's still feeling horrible.

Is he even out of danger yet?

Robbie sacrificed himself so his boyfriend would be granted the necessary medical treatment after all and now he's following a stranger through the streets of his birth town…

And the only reason for that is the short letter of Stephanie: 'We followed Nine's ship and are hiding in the forest with a new ally. You can trust him. Don't worry, we're okay and everything will become all right again. We're here to get you back home. - Stephanie and the others'

His vision blurs.

He stumbles and sees the ground approaching far too fast…

"Easy, Kid…"

He hasn't noticed the other elf coming back.

But now he's there, holding him up before wrapping an arm around his waist and putting Sportacus' arm around his shoulders. Then he slowly drags him along "Hold on. It's not far to go anymore…"

"…To the…woods?…" mumbles the hero confused but with already half lidded eyes.

"No. To my vehicle."

"…You got a…car?…"

"Car? No. More of an open carriage. Usually for transporting vegetables and fruits… But today, Isar is going to pull _you_ around…"

All this talking doesn't really help his spinning head "I-Isar? Who's…Isar?…"

"A svhestur. She's the only animal that lives with me at my lodge," Járn's annoyance is audible "And now enough of these questions. You need to save your strength."

The hero nods weakly.

But his head is buzzing even more now.

A svhestur.

A magic animal - if you like - living only with the elves.

It looks similar to a pig, but it's a little bigger and mostly got brown hair and the strength of a thoroughbred…

Sportacus himself has only seen this animal on pictures until now…

But when they finally arrive at the narrow alley and he sees the big but kind of cute looking creature with great, intelligent eyes in front of the carriage he can't help a small smile and while Járn helps him onto the cargo area to lay down he asks weakly "…Did…Stingy…see her?…"

"The boy in the yellow vest?" Járn nods and returns the smile lightly "…And he came up to me and said that she belonged to him now… You surely got some strange friends, Sportacus."

The hero just smiles softly and closes his eyes, cuddling up in the blanket the other elf covered him with, partly to hide him, partly to keep him warm.

He can't wait to see his friends…his family again…

And a low voice inside his head that sounds suspiciously like Stephanie's keeps telling him that everything will be all right again soon and that they are going to save Robbie and actually return to LazyTown all together…

And with this soothing thought Sportacus falls into a tight, exhausted slumber, not registering anything of the long way they now have to drive back to Járn's hideout…


	141. Crisis!?

White.

Why does _everything_ in these elvish rooms, airships and whatever has to be so _white_?

With a low groan Robbie squeezes his eyes shut again.

He wants to block everything around him out.

The too bright light.

The loneliness.

The drip connected to his hand, supplying him with whatever the doctor thought he needs to regain strength and fight his fever.

And even the relatively comfortable bed and the dead silence in his cell.

Yes.

He craved some of these things in the past.

But the only thing he can think of now are the mornings he woke up in Sportacus' protective arms, hearing his gentle breathing and sensing his steady heartbeat…

A low whimper escapes him, along with some tears "Sportacus… I'm so sorry… So incredible sorry…" he isn't even sure about what.

Maybe…for giving up?

Did he?

He's lying here in his cell again since the doctor ordered the guards to take him back because the felf was in no condition to be further examined.

He has no hope of ever leaving this building again.

At least not…like the person he is now…

But what is he anyway?

A felf who can't control his power and is highly dangerous?

A lazy criminal, obviously _nobody_ actually sees as such?

A nice guy and a friend?

A coward?

A big softie?

A sick man who appears to be in need of medical treatment?

All of the above or none?…

What does it matter…

He rolls onto his back and stares at the ceiling.

White.

He closes his eyes.

Black.

That's all that there is, right?

White and black.

Black and white.

Good and bad.

Bad and good.

And as a felf, he's 'black', isn't he?

He's the 'bad guy'…

"…Villain number one…" he swallows hard, his face taking on a painful expression, but he leaves his eyes shut "…That's what I claimed…and hoped to be for so long… And now that I appear to have achieved this goal, at least in the eyes of the elves, I am afraid… Nothing new for me… But still…" he sighs "…And now…I'm even depressed as it seems… Great. Robbie. You are in a crisis. And…you are also talking to yourself again. Splendid."

With an annoyed groan the felf sits up now, turns and lets his legs dangle from the edge of the small bed, thinking.

Yes, he _did_ give up.

But even if he did _not_ …there wasn't much he could do, right?!

He's stuck in here without any hope.

So why bother at all?

"…Because…I never had anything to lose… And now…all I could lose is Sportacus… But…I already did like this, didn't I?!.. So…it can't possibly get any worse than this…only better…if I should get the chance to see him again…" Robbie's eyes slowly move to the practically hidden door in the wall and subconsciously, his hand clenches into a fist "…If I _fight_ for it…"


	142. Arrival!?

"Sportacus! What's wrong with him??"

"Nothing, Kid. He's just sleeping. And he… Hey! You there…Sti-something!"

"Stingy!"

"Yeah, whatever. Be careful! Isar is stubborn and she doesn't like strangers."

"Well, she certainly likes _me_!"

"Oh, I could name some reasons for _that_ …"

"Trixie…"

Sportacus' senses wake up before his mind does.

But when he hears these familiar, beloved voices, the rest of his body follows relatively quickly, despite him being still weakened.

When his eyes finally flutter open he realizes that he's still in the back of the carriage… Standing next to it, the girl in the unmistakable pink dress.

"…Stephanie…"

"Sportacus!" she quickly grabs his hand and squeezes it "It's okay. We're all here! And we'll take you home! Right…after we saved Robbie of course!" Her smile is bright and encouraging as usual. And it would've cheered the hero up in any other situation. But…right now…

"…You shouldn't…have come here… It's too…dangerous…" he notices that his voice still sounds different than usual, but he can't put as much strength in it in this condition.

Stephanie must've noticed that, but she doesn't show it "Oh, don't worry! Uncle Milford and Bessie are with us as well! And Járn said that ordinary humans aren't in danger and also can't be judged by these Elders or whatever they call themselves. And we're not even in their… - what was the word again? - …realm here, so you should be safe here for now as well! All we gotta do is figure out a plan on how to free Robbie and then…"

"Maybe we should…help him inside first… I mean, before you continue with…talking…" suggests Pixel when he steps closer now.

"Oh, right, right! Sportacus, do you need help walking? Oh, forget it, of course you do! Wait, I'll get my uncle and Járn, they'll help you!" with a last squeeze of his hand she dashes off to get the mayor out of the small house where he's (trying) to cook with Miss Busybody' and Ziggy's help, and the outlaw elf out of Isar's barn where he still can be heard arguing with Stingy while Trixie is laughing about something Járn must've said to him…

"…Pixel…"

"Yes, Sportacus?" the boy looks at him, obviously concerned and steps closer to the cargo area when the hero finally managed to sit up.

"The crystal you and Robbie created back in his lair…" with shaking fingers the elf reaches into the small pocket of his clothes and hands the stone over "…something about it changed… I don't know what it is… Probably something…magical, but…"

"I'll check it immediately!" the boy gives him a bright, reassuring smile.

"Thank you," with a relieved sigh Sportacus sinks back a little "But be careful…"

"Sure thing, Sportacus!" Pixel steps even closer and shortly, carefully wraps his arms around him, murmuring "…It's good to have you back!…"

The hero is completely caught off guard, but answers the embrace reflexively but mutely.

He can only return that statement…


	143. Signature!?

With an annoyed growl Robbie disconnects himself from the drip and stands up to pace the room once more, but this time without carrying it around with him.

This is useless of course.

But just sitting around and waiting is even worse.

He doesn't care whether he feels stronger now because of the doctor's help and care.

He also doesn't care whether he indirectly hinted that Robbie should be patient and wait for what happens next while recovering.

All he cares about is to get out of here!

He has to check whether Nine kept his promise and Sportacus is all right!

But how could he do that?

The moment he'd break out - if he even managed _that_ somehow - the Elders would very likely set their entire army on his track and he wouldn't get far.

So it's hopeless, right?

He stops in his walk and buries his face in his hands "Come on, Robbie… _Think!_ What can you do? What…would Sportacus do?…" he frowns "Not getting into this mess in the first place I guess!"

A long sigh.

He rubs his eyes.

But then he suddenly remembers something "…Wait… That…isn't all true… I've caught him in a cage multiple times already… He got out each time…sometimes with help from the kids… But until he did…he…trained. Ugh. Of course he did! He's Sportacus! What was I thinking!?" he returns to the bed and drops down on it.

Seconds later, his gaze brightens up a little "Hm… Who says that I have to train…like _that_?! I mean… I can't possibly overpower them. Least of all with my pure body strength. What…isn't much anyway… But! They fear my magical power so I might _actually_ be stronger than them… In here I shouldn't be able to accidentally hurt anybody…except myself maybe… So this would be the perfect place and time for me…to learn how to control my power…" his eyes move to the drip and with a small sigh he reconnects his hand to it, knowing that he'll need his entire strength and all the support he can get for this.

Then he sits down on the bed with crossed legs, takes deep breaths, remembers what Sportacus has already told him and starts to focus on the different feelings and sensations that are floating around in his body…

 

 

He has slept for a few hours.

The rest did him well.

Also the plate full of Sportscandy, Stephanie and Ziggy greeted him with when he opened his eyes.

Járn also offered…or rather ordered him to drink a funny smelling tea and the hero immediately felt better afterwards.

"See? In those modern hospitals you wouldn't get anything like that! But the good old homespun remedies are still better than all these newfound 'medication'!" explained the older elf at once proudly.

Sportacus was gradually thankful, but for some reason he didn't feel like asking what was in it, remembering too well about the elvish culture classes at school and about the strange things most of the old receipts for healing food, drinks or other substances often contained…

The only thing he cared about right now was the result: he felt much stronger.

Even strong enough to focus and listen to Pixel's information about the fake crystal now…

"So. I checked the crystal. It's still the same material that Robbie and I used to create it. Still the same stone. But you were right. There's a strange type of energy coming from it. I couldn't identify it and because you already mentioned that it could be some kind of magic I asked Járn for help…" the boy looks at the elf sitting next to him. Sportacus', Milford's, Bessie's and the kids' attention also move from Pixel to Járn now. He nods lightly "Yes. It's magic. And what you should know about magic is that every elf, every fairy…and also every felf has his or her very own and unique magic signature. The stone therefore was clearly manipulated by Robbie. I don't know how, but he copied some of the characteristics of the _real_ crystal and implanted them in the fake one. Then he put a shielding magical layer upon it so Nine wouldn't notice. That's something only faeries can do. Nine couldn't notice that the stone was far more than an ordinary stone now because of said layer. That was - consciously or not - incredibly smart of Robbie."

"But…if Nine couldn't see or sense this…then why did I…"

"Because Robbie locked a message inside this stone. Upon other things. And this message must be for you. So the stone reacts on your magic signature and reveals its secret to you."

"And how did you find that out?" asks Stephanie now curious "You couldn't see this, just like Nine couldn't, right?"

"Right. But…I know quite a lot about fairy magic and also some secret tests how to discover whether it was really what I thought it was. The content, the message and the other secrets this stone is carrying I couldn't reveal, though. Only Sportacus can do that. Or Robbie of course. So…" Járn hands the younger elf the fake crystal "…I'll teach you how to open the layer and see what's inside."

"Thank you, Járn! That's so nice of you!" Sportacus flashes him a thankful, happy smile. His heart is already beating with excitement.

A message from Robbie!

He doesn't care how his boyfriend managed to perform this huge, impressive magic chant or whatever. Especially with still so few experience in handling his own magic, but he couldn't care less right now…

"I…have two more questions…"

Everybody turns his or her attention to Stephanie again, a little surprised.

She studies Járn carefully and out of bright, intelligent eyes "You said that every elf, fairy and felf has his or her own magical signature. But… How can you be so sure that the one on the crystal is Robbie's then? You haven't ever met him, right?! And how do you know so much about faeries? Even more than Nine, who's an…'Elder'?"

Silence.

Slowly the focus turns to the older elf again.

Járn just stares at the girl for a moment. Then he starts to smile lightly "I knew I liked you, the moment you asked your very first question whether I could help you, Pinky…"

Sportacus doesn't know why, but he can't help a light wince.

This voice…

And now even in combination with the last word…

"I maybe should've told you right away… But I wanted to make sure that you truly are who you claimed to be…" Járn takes a deep breath in, and Sportacus knows what's coming next even before the words leave the other elf's mouth "I'm Robbie's father…"


	144. Ash (Aska)!?

"Nine - Vígamaður, his chosen name - and I were trained together to become heroes. We were in the same class and rivals since the very first day. Especially during PE and the fighting practices this could turn out quite nasty… Most of the time I was slightly better than him, albeit not much. And this always left him jealous. After our graduation we both left to be heroes and were happy that we didn't have to see each other again… That was many, many decades ago… Not too many years ago I then had a job in Iceland, not too far away from here. That's…where I met Robbie's mother for the first time. It was love at first sight," a small, sad smile washes over Járn's face "We spent as much time there as we could, but when we both had to return to our folks we promised each other to stay in contact. Little time later…I was chosen to become one of the Elders because of my remarkable work as a hero. I was completely surprised because very few had been chosen at my quite young age… But I was also happy, because since I then would spend most of my time in this town I was closer to Aska, Robbie's mother, because the border to our realms was just a few miles away. So I agreed. We communicated via letters and met in the woods a few times that were neither elf nor fairy territory but that of the humans. Later we found that human village and became friends with a couple there that helped us keep our secret but spent as much time together as possible by letting us live in their house for the few days in a row we could sneak away from our folks. We were both aware that we broke one of the highest prohibitions of our people and of what risk we were taking. But we didn't care. Our love was too strong…" he now gives Sportacus a soft smile, showing that he knows about his relationship with his son "…We kept our secret for several years safe. Then…Aska became pregnant. We were likewise happy as shocked. Knowing that, if the child survived the birth and the first few months at all, we couldn't take care of it ourselves. But…we couldn't do anything but wait… Aska easily covered her pregnancy with her magic until her due date. She delivered the kid at our friends' home and we were a little relieved to see that the boy looked perfectly human. But he was very weak at first and we already feared the worst during the first weeks while nursing him as good as we could… But Robbie was a fighter since the hour of his birth. He made it. And our friends agreed to raise him as their child, along with their own boy. Deciding that it would be safest for Robbie not to know anything about us or magic in general, we only spent time with him as his uncle and aunt… This plan went well…until Nine arrived again from one of his long term missions. He was furious before because I was chosen Elder so soon and before him. But he couldn't do anything because of a mission he had to set out to shortly after my ceremony. Now that he was back…he tried everything to find something that he could use against me…and soon found out that I was leaving town whenever I could… I don't know how… And I don't know whether it was really him… But when word got loud that there was a young felf hiding somewhere close to the border, we realized that we couldn't risk to see each other or Robbie again… I also destroyed any evidence that could've let the investigators to Robbie or even just hinted on his existence. Nevertheless, I was arrested not much later and taken into custody. They couldn't really prove what I did, though a whole year passed until they finally let me free but excluded me from the circle of Elders because I wasn't 'flawless' anymore. Nine took my place a few years later, after returning from his final mission he volunteered quite eagerly for. But even before that I went into exile…after I found out about Aska…" Járn's eyes take on a giving away shine and he shortly looks at the kids not sure whether they should hear the next part. But then he remembers that they even came here to save their friends, fully aware of what could happen to them at worst if they didn't try to rescue them, and talks on "…During the one year I was in custody she has also been interrogated and kept away from any outside influence. None of us knew what happened to our son… And after we were free again we realized that there was no clue left of where Robbie or our friends were. And we risked much to find out anything but nobody could…or wanted to help us… Not knowing what happened to our beloved son…broke her heart. She died one and a half years later… And I couldn't stand to be in town one moment longer after I got to know that. That's why I left to live here in the woods… I still tried to find out what happened to Robbie and the family we left him with and while doing so I also discovered some of our folk's well hidden secrets that only the highest Elders know about… I always kept a close eye on Vígamaður after his return and his ceremony to become an Elder. I also know that he wasn't pleased at all that Sportacus was chosen to end his last mission years later. But the reason for that I discovered only half a year later when I ran into my old friend by sheer accident in the middle of the woods. You can imagine how excited I was, because seeing that he was alive and back in Iceland made me hope to finally get to know what happened to Robbie as well. When he told me that he was all right but stayed alone back in LazyTown I finally understood everything. Why Nine volunteered so eagerly for this mission in this town all these years ago and why he then wanted somebody else to capture the 'lazy villain' there and not Sportacus who obviously had a far too good and pure heart for that. Because he knew that this young hero doesn't really _want_ to be a hero and therefore would very likely disobey the order to bring Robbie here, once he understood that he wasn't nearly half as bad as Nine had claimed. I was…relieved to hear that he was all right and with Sportacus as his 'hunter' relatively save as well, even more so when nobody heard of him for years. Although I was sad that I couldn't go and see him. That would've been too dangerous, because if Nine found out somehow, Robbie would've been doomed… So for the first time in many, many years, I lived in peace, knowing that my son was safe, and found the time to mourn the loss of the love of my life… Until one of my few loyal friends of a small group of protestors against the judgments against felves came to tell me that there was enormous excitement in the Elders' halls because one of the hero's crystals had activated the self-defense mode. When we learned that it was Sportacus' we already knew that Nine wouldn't let the opportunity pass to finally get hold of my son personally. But…we couldn't do anything else but wait until they returned with him here. He took much longer than we expected and I know now that it was because you…" he looks into his audience with a soft smile for the first time now "…have been fighting to keep my son safe as best as you could. And I'm incredibly thankful for that."

Silence.

The whole group is looking at him and although they feel somewhat proud of this praise…another feeling is superior…

"…The best wasn't enough…" Stephanie's voice is uncharacteristic low and depressed "…Robbie still is in danger…"

Agreeing, sad nods of the others.

"We have to save him!" Sportacus jumps up and staggers a little.

Járn quickly stands up as well and steadies him "Easy. Take it slow, you're still weakened," he gently pushes him back down on the couch and gives him a soothing smile "We _will_ save him. I already have a plan and told my friends of the protest movement about it. We'll strike tomorrow during Robbie's court hearing. But I need all of you to be as fit and rested as possible until then. So I suggest we try to sleep a little now. It's gotten late. Tomorrow morning I'll explain my plan to you."

Agreeing murmuring of the whole group.

Several minutes later the kids have already slipped into their sleeping bags and Milford and Bessie went outside to catch some fresh air again before they'd sleep as well.

Járn has helped Sportacus to his bed and is now tugging him in.

The hero doesn't question this.

He doesn't even think about rejecting to sleep in the other elf's bed so he'd have to sleep on the couch now.

His mind is far too busy with other things.

He's staring at Járn now and sees more and more similarities between him and Robbie.

The way he moves, his body language…

"…Járn…"

"Yes?"

"Can I…ask you some more questions?…"

"You should sleep. Your body needs rest."

"But my mind needs answer even more urgently. Please…"

Járn looks at him for a moment.

Then he sighs lowly and sits down at the edge of the bed "All right. What do you want to know?"

"Nine chose the name Vígamaður… And you Járn, right?"

A nod.

"…'Warrior' and 'iron'…" he slowly shakes his head "…No wonder he said that my choice of name was childish…"

"You shouldn't give a damn about what this man says, Sportacus. I think your name fits you very well," the older elf smiles softly, but then he asks carefully "Did he…say even more mean things to you, or…"

"He told me about my parents. That they were…felf hunters and…"

"…that they got killed during this?" Járn furrows his brows.

Sportacus' eyes grow wide "So it's true?! You know this as well…"

The other elf shakes his head "No. It's not. Sportacus… I don't think I should tell you now… You need to rest and…"

"Wait! So you _know_ what happened to my parents? And that wasn't it?"

"Sport…" Járn sighs lowly and looks at his begging eyes for a moment, then he nods once and continues in a very soft voice "All right… The story Nine told you is what he kept telling all of us at school about _his_ parents. And it's _not_ true. He can't remember what happened to his parents. Nobody of us can. Neither me, nor you, nor any other hero. Because…" he hesitates another second but then he forces himself to speak on, even softer than before "…we don't _have_ real parents… No, don't give me that look. I couldn't believe it myself first, but… I already mentioned that I dug up the dirt of our culture only the highest Elders know about when I searched for Robbie… That's part of it. Some of us are orphans, yes. But there aren't nearly enough orphans to make sure we can send enough heroes into the world. So…dozens of decades ago, our _brilliant_ Elders came up with an idea: they started to experiment with genetic donations and magic… I don't know how exactly it works, but… To cut the explanation short, we were crafted mostly by magic that met genetic material. That's why we're all made for extreme physical activity. Normal orphans wouldn't all have the genetics for such strong bodies…"

Sportacus just stares at him for a moment.

Then a tear rolls down his cheek and he asks in a broken voice "…You're…entirely sure?… We're all just…" he doesn't find the right word.

Neither does he know how to feel with this new knowledge about himself.

"Yes…" Járn reaches out to gently stroke through his blonde hair, a soft smile on his lips "But it doesn't matter where we came from, Sportacus. All that matters is who we are _now_. And I am Robbie's father. And you are his boyfriend, right? He needs us both. I know it's much to process for you. That's why I didn't want to tell you at first. But do you think you can…"

"Yes," interrupts Sportacus and takes a deep breath in, wiping his tear away, then he nods supporting "Yes. I'll be strong. For Robbie. You're right, he needs us."

"Good," Járn smiles, strokes his head again and stands up "Then you should sleep now. You'll feel better tomorrow, I'm sure of that," he walks a few steps away, but then he turns back again "One more thing, Sport. I'm…really happy that my son found someone like you. Or…rather you found him… Anyway. Don't hesitate to come to me if there's anything that bothers you or you wanna talk about. I'm there for you. You're a good boy and you did the right thing. Never doubt that."

The younger hero nods and manages a feeble, thankful smile "Thank you, Járn."

The other nods once then he turns and leaves Sportacus alone with his thoughts in the dark of the night…


	145. Tears!?

"You should be resting."

"How can you tell that I am not?" Robbie doesn't turn to face the doctor.

He's still standing in the middle of the room with his right hand put in the palm of his left one, holding them in front of his body like that, eyes closed and his back towards the door.

His voice was monotone and unusual quiet.

"Well, for once you're _standing_ instead of _lying_ ," replies the doctor calm but not unfriendly and steps closer.

The felf still doesn't move a single muscle "You came here without any bodyguards? Shouldn't you be afraid?"

"You are no killer, Robbie."

"Not yet. And though you are afraid. I can sense it…" out of a sudden Robbie's shoulders drop and he buries his face in his hands, a low sob escaping his slightly parted lips "I'm sorry! This is so new for me! I don't think I can handle it! I… You're only trying to help me but I doubt so much that this is right… What if…"

"Hey. Hey, hey…" the doctor steps up to him, carefully puts an arm around his shoulders and slowly guides him to the bed "Easy. You were right. I am a little afraid of you… Or to be more correct, of your powers. But not even a quarter as afraid as _you_ , yourself, are obviously," he gently pushes the shaking man down and takes a seat next to him, soothingly rubbing his back "But you are no monster, Robbie."

"I can sense your emotions and the magic in and outside of this whole place and of every single person in this building! I can sense hot and cold blood streaming through my body as clear as if they were fire and ice! I can sense…so much energy deep down inside of me that it feels as if I could explode any second!" the felf's sobbing becomes worse and more hysteric "I thought that I could learn how to control this power and use it to escape and search my boyfriend! But now I realize that I'm too weak! I could never control it! I'd _kill_ everybody who gets in my way! **_But I don't want to hurt anybody!_** "

With a desperate cry Robbie throws himself onto his side on the bed and pulls his knees up to his chest, trying to make himself as small as possible while sobbing lowly "They should do with me what they think is right. And if all they can do to stop me is killing me… Then that's the way it should be. My whole existence was a mistake right from the start anyway…"

The doctor looks at him for a moment.

Then he carefully rests a hand on the felf's shoulder "…Robbie…"

But the other tries to shrug him off with a soft cry.

The elf pulls his hand back and sighs lowly "Listen. I know this is much to handle. But although it still might feel like the complete opposite to you now these talents are _gifts_. You mustn't fear them. And you also, under no circumstances, must try to suppress them again! Why do you think your medical counts were so bad?!"

"Because my main nutrition has always been based on junk food and sweets," grumbles Robbie annoyed, because at this question he can't help but think about Sportacus trying to reason with him again to get him to finally eat healthier.

So the growl was a reflex.

Although the next second he feels more tears coming up, wishing for nothing more than to be able to listen to the sports-elf endless explanations of a healthy lifestyle again…

But the doctor's voice rips him out of his thoughts "Your body functions are based on that of a fairy. Therefore junk food and sweets are for you what Sportscandy is to us. So no. Not because of your lifestyle. Nearly all of the medical problems you ever suffered were caused by the fact that you suppressed three quarters of what you truly are!"

Robbie opens his eyes but just stares at the white wall in front of him without moving his position.

His voice is barely more than a broken whisper "…Hallucinations…as well?…"

"You suffered under hallucinations?!"

A weak nod.

"Yes…" the doctor's voice grows even softer and he once again puts a soothing hand on the felf's shoulder.

This time the other doesn't wince away.

"…Do you understand now how grave this suppressed energy and abilities influenced you? You have to let go and accept who you truly are. Otherwise…"

"But I'm _dangerous_!" Robbie sits up and desperately looks at the other man "You must know that! You…"

"Robbie, I'm trying to help you! To encourage you to try and trust yourself and your true nature! Don't listen to what you've been told! You are no monster. Neither are you out of control. Every elf and every fairy has to learn how to use the own magic powers. The same counts for felves. Our stubborn government just still won't see that. They fear everything that could be more powerful than them. And it's true that your kind usually is if the babies survive the birth. But you're not bad because of your genetics. That's absurd! Just look at what you've done here the past few hours. You experimented and tried to control your powers. And you didn't set the entire room on fire during this, if I'm not mistaken. So you obviously already _are_ in enough control of your powers to hold them at bay. But you still need to balance this out so you won't hurt yourself during this out if fear to hurt others. Once we got you out if here we can help you with that. But therefore…"

"'We'?"

"Yes. I'm a member of a group that helps felves and tries to legalize their existence. It took me quite some time to sneak in here."

"So… You're no real doctor?…"

"Yes, I am. But my precursor who worked here was highly loyal to the Elders and I had to go through quite some tests to proof that I am too. What I'm _not_ of course. I would've told you earlier, but the danger that Nine or the guards were listening was too great. I'm even taking a risk _now_ , but I figured I had to, to keep you from committing suicide or at least giving up on yourself completely. You're still sick enough already like this…" he carefully feels the felf's forehead.

Robbie doesn't react on that, he feels far too much like somebody just hit him with a cow.

Finally he manages to stammer "S-So…you want to help me escape???"

"Yes. Tomorrow evening during your court hearing. That's why I'm trying to help you regain some strength and came here to bring you another infusion. You need to be as fit as possible for that. Okay?"

Robbie nods dumbfounded.

He's too overwhelmed to reply anything.

The doctor nods and smiles lightly "Good. By the way… If you need another encouragement to hold on… Sportacus is waiting for you."

Robbie feels his heartbeat picking up.

Sportacus.

He's alive and waiting for…him…

He can't help it.

He starts crying again.

But this time they're happy tears.

Tears of hope…


	146. Preparations!?

Sportacus' heart is beating just a little bit faster the whole morning already.

It's this rhythm of heart when you can't tell whether you're afraid or happy excited or a little bit of both…

He's still staring at the suit Járn put on the bed for him with the words "You're one of us now. Time to turn away from the numbers and uniforms of the system that is trying to 'clean' your boyfriend and my son!"

Yes…

He was probably right about that…

But the feeling of exchanging his familiar white and blue clothes for an almost completely black outfit with small red stripes at the sides feels like a huge step to him.

Almost…like giving up on something he knew his entire life…

"Sportacus?"

He nearly jumps when Stephanie suddenly appears next to him.

"Are you all right?"

"Yes… Yes," he nods and looks at her just now.

The next second he winces a little again.

Stephanie is already wearing her black suit.

And when he turns around to look at the other kids and even Bessie and the Mayor who are all busy talking, walking around or, like Stingy, helping Járn to take care of Isar, he realizes that _all_ of them are dressed up in these suits already…except of him…

"Sportacus…" the pink girl gently nudges his arm "Are you really okay? Or do you feel sick again?"

"No… I'm okay. I just… I'm just worried I guess…" he sighs lowly and his eyes move back to his own suit again.

He knows he should get dressed…

"Don't be! Járn's plan is great! And we're not alone! You always say that we should work together to reach our target and we're part of a whole team now that wants to save Robbie! There's nothing that can go wrong!" she flashes him her most optimistic smile and looks at him out of bright eyes.

She's right.

Of course she is.

So why is he still hesitating and worried?

Maybe it's because he still can't wrap his mind around what he learned about himself yesterday.

Maybe it's because it downs on him that if he takes this huge step now there'll be no turning back.

And even if he lived a huge lie most of his life…

Can he simply turn his back to all that?

On the other hand…

Robbie is more important than anything else that has been before.

He takes a deep breath in.

This new suit is more than just a suit he realizes.

This suit is the embodiment of a new life.

That's why it's so hard for him to put it on.

He's nervous.

Scared even.

But he can only try to imagine how Robbie must feel right now…

"You're right, Stephanie!" determinedly he grabs the cloth "Time to get our friend back home!"

And in his mind he adds "Time to start a new life and don't look back anymore!…"

 

 

"…Will I ever get rid of them again?…" Robbie rubs over the blue lines on his chest and looks at the doctor.

Sven.

His name is Sven.

And he's going to help him.

Help him to get back to Sportacus.

He can still barely believe it…

"If everything goes as planned we'll try to help you get rid of them, yes," the doctor finishes writing down some more medical counts of his patient then he holds him his shirt "Here, you can put that back on. And now no more talking about that. You know that…"

"Yes. Sorry," the felf nods and looks down on his hands, his voice barely above a whisper now "…I'm scared…"

Sven holds in his move and just looks at the other for a moment.

Then he replies lowly "I know. And in your position it's no shame to be. I wish I could promise you that tomorrow everything will be all right again. But…I can't. You know that we're taking a high risk. But none of _us_ will experience any harm no matter whether we get caught or not. You on the other hand…" he reaches out and gently squeezes his shoulder "You're a good man, Robbie. So whatever they might tell you during this court hearing… Don't listen to them. Okay?…"

Robbie nods weakly, too nervous to reply anything.

"Good. Then let me just…"

The door opens and interrupts the doctor.

One of the guards steps into the medical room and barks "He has to be ready for transport in three minutes!" and slams the door shut again.

Robbie has winced twice during these ten seconds and looks at Sven, his eyes reflecting his fear even more than before now.

"I'll put you asleep so they can transfer you into the cage in the courtyard… Don't worry, this time it won't hurt. I promise," the doctor tries a soothing smile and squeezes his shoulder once more "And Robbie… Don't let them see your fear. No matter what may come, you're a strong felf with a good heart. None of these Elders is better than you in any way and out there is a man who obviously loves you very much. Be strong. For him."

With a shaking breath in, Robbie nods.


	147. Waiting!?

It's far too warm for his liking.

He's used to his well breathing hero outfit after all…

The black suit of the rebels alone is pleasant to wear as well.

But with the hoody over it this simply is too warm…

Sportacus never really felt like blacking out before.

Not consciously at least.

And not for so long…

It must be over half an hour that he's already standing on the grandstand between the other members of the audience.

He carefully looks around, trying to recognize any other members of the rebellious gang among all these people.

It's an almost impossible task of course, because he doesn't know any of them except Járn and the elf who picked them up at the house of Robbie's father in his car like vehicle and brought them to the court house. Which is more like a huge arena.

He can't help but imagine Robbie's snippy comment on that if he was here "Well, Sportacus. I can't help the feeling that you were slightly influenced by this place when you picked your name."

The hero can't help his heart growing heavy when he wishes so _much_ that Robbie would be standing next to him now, giving him this slightly mischievous smile before folding his arms and shrugging it off then, simply leaving the conversation at that and watching the following scenario go its way…

But now…the felf is the involuntary main character of said scenario…

His eyes drift off, over to the small grandstand for the kids on the opposite side of the arena. The kids of LazyTown have blended in with the elvish children and as far as he can see from here. They even get along very well already.

A small smile washes over his lips at that although he really isn't surprised.

He knows 'his' kids after all…

Then he glances at Milford and Bessie who are standing one row in front of Járn and him.

The other elf is wearing a wide dark shirt to cover his suit and although he's constantly working a light charm to cover that the two grownups have no elvish signature, his expression isn't focused but…worried.

Sportacus feels for him.

Until now Robbie is nowhere to be seen, but neither are the Elders.

Their podium across the arena is still empty except of two guards at the stairs leading up to it.

When does this whole procedure start? And when…

Sportacus closes his eyes when he feels the fake crystal in his hand that he's still hiding in his pocket and make sure he remembers everything Robbie's father told him about how to reveal its secret…

He feels himself starting to shake ever so slightly.

What if their plan won't work?

They aren't even a hundred percent sure that it contains what they hope it does.

And they couldn't check before because such 'messages' can only be opened once.

According to Járn at least.

And Sportacus sees no reason to doubt his knowledge.

The older elf hasn't been chosen to be an Elder before for nothing.

And the town hero is sure that Robbie got a lot of his obvious remarkable power from him.

He also assured the man who picked them up that bringing the felf's human friends along would be helpful and absolutely worth the slightly higher risk of getting discovered too soon.

And Sportacus is very grateful to know his family so close.

But nevertheless he still feels so…

"Easy," Járn gently presses his arm against Sportacus' when he senses his distress, his voice is very low but soft "I'm nervous, too. But we'll save Robbie. I gave you my word, remember?"

His words and especially the touch have a calming, comforting effect on the sports-elf and he nods once, relaxing a tiny bit.

But he still feels the growing wish to finally see his boyfriend again…

Until the moment the gate leading inside the arena opens.

The next second he isn't sure whether some wishes shouldn't rather stay unfulfilled…


	148. Opening!?

Robbie had no idea what he'd have to face out there when he woke up from the sedation five minutes ago in this cage that appears to be similar to the one in Nine's airship with the main difference that it's smaller and moveable.

Sven only told him that it'd be bad and that they'd treat him like the worst criminal, but that no matter what they'd say or ask him he should remain calm _at any time_ and _mustn't_ let himself be impressed by that.

But that's easier said than done when your cage gets pushed through a great gate, right into the middle of a huge arena and in front of a podium.

It feels like he gets smashed by all these impressions crashing down on him all at once.

So many people…

Thousands as it seems.

And it's so _loud_!

Robbie barely resists the urge to cover his ears with his hands and crouch down with a pathetic whimper.

But he focuses on the doctor's promise instead and carefully starts to turn and look around.

Of course he knows that his chances to locate Sportacus among all these people in the audience is small.

But as long as it's there and he doesn't have anything better to do he'll hold on to it…

It also helps him to ignore the fact that practically all eyes are fixed on him now while the excited chattering doesn't stop.

Almost as if he was…

 

…the main attraction of a zoo…

Sportacus clenches his free hand into a fist at this thought.

He's likewise angry as desperate at seeing his boyfriend caged in like that again with everybody staring at him as if he was a _thing_ and not a human being with feelings.

He wants to call his name, to run to him, free him, embrace and hold him and tell him that everything is all right again and that he won't let go of him again.

Ever.

But…

"Easy, Sportacus," murmurs Járn next to him lowly but firmly "I know how you feel, but you need to stay calm and wait for the right moment. You know that."

"Oh my. But this is…so wrong. Why do they treat him like that?…" murmurs the mayor audibly shocked "He didn't do anything wrong! …Did he?…"

"Of course not, Milford!" whispers Bessie "Robbie did nothing worse than usually. His little schemes don't justify this court hearing. That's absurd!"

"It is, my dear friends. But could you please be quiet. We can't risk to be noticed just yet."

"Oh… Right. Sorry, Járn!"

All four of them focus on the cage with Robbie again.

He doesn't look as terrified as Sportacus has expected him to be.

He looks uncomfortable but the hero knows him well enough to read his body language even from so far away: he's hopeful.

He knows that someone, including his boyfriend is coming for his rescue and he could be searching for him in the crowd now…

The town hero would give anything to hurry to comfort him right now…

But he reminds himself that Járn hasn't seen his son in years and manages to stay calm now, though.

So he takes a deep breath and waits again…

 

When the gate opens a second time a group of five elves in long white coats enter the arena and head straight for the stairs leading to the podium.

One of them…is Nine.

And he's the only one that turns his head for a moment to look at Robbie.

The felf can't help a light wince.

Nine's eyes are colder than ever and of a threatening confidence… He's sure to win this verbal battle. And he probably got all reason to be…

Robbie notices quite late that slowly but steadily a reverent silence starts to fill the huge field.

And the final mumbling has died down completely by the moment the Elders have gathered on their podium and one of them takes a step forward to raise his arms and pronounces clear and firmly "Let the trial begin!"


	149. Shape!?

"The subject Robbie Rotten is accused of being a felf. Today's court hearing will investigate the gathered evidence as well as consider the medical examination of the subject to rate whether this is true, how dangerous he is and what kind of Cleansing will be sufficient. As the first elder I'll be the judge, and investigator Vígamaður will be our prosecutor. Now I ask the audience for silence," the Elder steps back and looks at Nine "Prosecutor. You have the word."

Robbie feels an ice cold shiver running down his spine when the other Elder now takes a few steps forward to the rim of the podium and takes a satisfied look around the now completely silent audience before he fixes his cold, measuring, threatening eyes on the felf and starts in a loud, clear voice "Every child knows that one of our highest laws forbids the love between elves and fairies because the child of such a couple would be a felf that wouldn't only be a danger for itself but for our whole realm. Probably for the whole world even. Our laws are there to protect us. And it's proven that felves are dangerous beings and therefore illegal," now he accusingly points with his stretched out arm at the cage with the inventor in it "Robbie Rotten is a felf. A felf who was born not far away from here and then brought across the sea to a small town named LazyTown where he was raised by a human family. I have been in charge of this town for a few years and his laziness and his stubbornness have always been hints that something wasn't right with this boy. But felves can be powerful, even as children, and he managed to cover his magical signature. Though I kept this town and the person concerned in watch even when I left. Number Ten, the freshly graduated hero Sportacus, then was send out with the order to capture the man that has grown to become the villain of that peaceful town. But he resisted the arrest over years. The day the emergency crystal of Number Ten was activated, my assumption that Robbie Rotten was a felf got stronger and two of my men and I came to assist our young hero. The felf resisted with many tricks but eventually we got hold of him. Our consulted and sworn doctor then ran the necessary tests and the result was clear: Robbie Rotten is a felf. A highly powerful one, although he hasn't developed his full potential yet. Plus he's a villain. Therefore I, Elder and investigator Vígamaður, vote for the highest grade of the cleaning ritual there is!" he takes a dramatic pause before continuing "Splitting and afterwards the security cell for our highest graded criminals."

 

Another moment of silence.

Then there's a low murmuring going through the audience.

Járn has reflexively grabbed Sportacus' arm to keep him from running down the grandstand.

But the town hero is far too overwhelmed to move any muscle. He just stares at the cage with Robbie.

Seconds later Bessie asks lowly "What…is 'splitting'?"

"A felf contains two different kinds of magic. Two sides. One of the elf and one of the fairy. That's what makes him dangerous in their eyes. And…splitting is the process of…pulling one of these sides out of the felf. It's a long and…complicated process. They usually try to find out which one is weaker and therefore easier to pull out. But…sometimes when both sides are in perfect balance and equally strong…" the older elf doesn't finish his sentence because he senses Sportacus next to him shaking and then suddenly swaying, so he quickly steadies him "Easy, Sportacus. We won't let this happen. I promise."

The younger hero nods weakly and asks lowly "…What do you think…Robbie is going through at hearing this?…"

None of his companions dares to answer this.

 

Robbie strangely isn't afraid.

Not more than before his tormentor started talking at least.

He also doesn't know what 'splitting' exactly means in this case.

But he refuses to think about this.

He doesn't even bother to stand Vígamaður's triumph reflecting gaze any longer.

Instead he looks around the arena again and studies the people of Sportacus' kin.

They look perfectly normal to him. They have different heights and different body shapes.

Just like humans do.

So they're not _all_ of the same excellent fitness as the town hero, although all in all, they're surely in better shape than such a number of randomly chosen humans would be.

Yet it's a somewhat soothing knowledge that Sportacus' fitness isn't standard of the elvish culture or genetic.

And it's also quite interesting to see that Sportacus obviously is a little smaller than the average elf…

His eyes move on to a separate grandstand and he realizes that many children are watching from there as well, and he can't help but wonder whether these kids would witness whatever his punishment is going to be or if this kind of things happen in a dark chamber behind closed doors…

His thoughts however get interrupted when he suddenly sees a color among those children…that somehow doesn't fit in the elvish world…

"…St… Stephanie???"


	150. Future!?

"Stephanie…"

The girl turns to look at Pixel and wonders for a moment why he's so intensely pointing at his own cheek until she finally touches hers and feels that some of her pink hairs must've gotten loose from her bun she's hiding underneath a great hat.

"Oh…" she quickly grabs it and tugs it back, murmuring "Why didn't you just _say_ something instead of pointing, Pixel?"

"Sorry…" he shrugs and gently nudges her arm before nodding slightly in the direction of the cage, his voice happily excited but still low "I think Robbie saw you…"

"Really?!" the girl hopefully follows his gaze and for a moment she locks eyes with the beloved town villain and although they're so far apart she believes she can read the surprised realization that hits him in this moment on his face.

But the next second Vígamaður calls his name again and he turns back to the podium.

Does he know now that they're here to save him?

Will it help him to hold on?…

"Stephanie," the little elvish girl next to her gently tugs at her sleeve and when she focuses back on her and the other kids around her, there are about ten pairs of eyes staring pleadingly at her "Go on, please?"

The pink girl shortly looks around and sees that Pixel and her other friends are all continuing with telling the four other groups of kids their…and Robbie's _true_ story.

Some of the elvish kids are older and some younger than her, but all of them are listening attentively.

She takes a short breath in.

Then she picks up her own task again, in her mind Uncle Milford's wise words: 'Children are the future. And a wrong, strongly rooted believe of a nation can only be changed by teaching the kids the other side of the facts and let them chose what kind of future they want to spread…'

 

"…Robbie Rotten."

At hearing his own name again the felf forces his eyes away from the girl he almost _certainly_ recognized as Stephanie now and looks back to the podium with Nine.

He blinks slowly.

Vígamaður is still looking at him with these cold, threatening eyes "Robbie Rotten. What do you have to say for yourself?"

"…I?…" Robbie blinks again, completely perplex.

But then he straightens up more, reminding himself that not only his boyfriend is witnessing all this but apparently Stephanie…and who knows who else of his friends as well.

He takes a steadying breath in.

Then he replies not too loud but neither afraid "I can't say much, I fear. Yes, I'm a felf. And yes, for many, many years I believed myself a villain. But I never hurt anyone intentionally. I didn't realize myself until a few weeks ago…but the people of LazyTown are my friends. My family. And they care for me. As I care for them. And your hero…Sportacus…he didn't _want_ to arrest me because he saw the good in me. Something I refused to see myself… And yes, I activated the crystal. But not by attacking him. I only touched it to pick it up from the ground after he…lost it and that's how it happened… I could never hurt him. Anybody. I didn't even know that I'm a felf or a magical creature at all until a few weeks ago. Because as a young teenager I subconsciously manipulated my own memory and erased what my adoptive mother told me from my consciousness…" he doesn't really think about his words, they just come out of his mouth like this "And to be honest when I realized what I am, I was terrified of myself and my powers as well at first. But…I honestly don't want to hurt _anybody_. I'm not the villain I claimed to be for so long. I'm not bad," a lonely tear runs down his cheek, but he smiles happily when he fills the next words with all his heart "I just… All I wish for…is to go home…"


	151. Defense!?

The silence that has once again suddenly filled the whole arena is different than before.

This time nobody asked or ordered for it.

This time all those people of the audience fell silent because of Robbie's comparatively low, but audibly honest voice.

Because they wanted to hear his words of defense.

And now all eyes are fixed on him, studying him, trying to hold the felf's words against Vígamaður's…

Robbie wonders what all these people are thinking now.

Is there even one stranger who believes him?

Are some of these persons as caring and forgiving as Sportacus is?

Believing in the good in everybody?

Even in felves?

A low clapping rips him out of his slightly hopeful thoughts.

Nine is standing on his podium, his expression hard and angry, and he's clapping very slowly. His voice is openly mocking "Very good. Now we got a glimpse of his impressive manipulation skills as well."

Robbie winces ever so slightly "But I…"

"Silence! The Elders have heard enough!" calls Vígamaður sharply and turns to the other men on the podium "Noble Judge. The evidence is smothering and only a formal part of sentencing a felf. But do you agree to my vote?"

The highest elder and judge of the group nods and takes a step forward "Considering the giving circumstances and all we've heard now, I…"

"That's no court hearing! That's a joke!"

A loud, shocked gasps goes through the crowd, and all eyes turn to the grandstand across the podium where a single person has just jumped up and is on his way to the ground of the arena now.

"Sportacus, wait!" but Járn's plead falls on deaf ears.

The town hero is too enraged, too emotionally overwhelmed to keep quiet for one second longer.

He started crying during Robbie's small speech and hoped just like his boyfriend that the Elders would see and understand what is _really_ going on here.

And seeing that they don't give a single damn about this, is just too much to take in this moment.

He's a little surprised that absolutely nobody does anything to hold him up and not even the guards of the gate move in his direction.

But he couldn't care less right now.

"Vígamaður!" he's reached the ground of the arena now and heads straight towards the cage, his face is reflecting determination.

"…Sportacus…" Robbie's voice is an unbelieving whisper and he feels tears of emotion shoot into his eyes.

The moment he heard his first words he recognized the voice of his hero but only now when he sees him approach his brain is able to process that he's actually _here_ for _him_.

He turns completely in his cage and grabs the bars, mostly to hold himself upright when he's overcome by happy dizziness "Sportacus!"

"Robbie…" the town hero starts running.

Forgotten is his own still weakened body and whatever plan they had.

All that matters is Robbie.

The second he reaches the cage and reaches for the felf's hands his heart skips a beat.

Finally!

Now he…

" **Ouch!** " he winces back when some kind of electrical jolt rushes through his fingertips.

He forgot the invisible barrier of the cage…

"Sportacus!" even more tears roll down the inventor's cheeks, but this time out of shock and concern.

"I'm all right!" assures his boyfriend quickly, although he's still crying as well and instead of a loving, soothing touch he looks at him this way now "Everything will be all right…"

"Stupid blue elf!" sobs Robbie and swallows hard "Why are you here and not somewhere safe?! I didn't risk my doomed felvish ass for you so you let yourself get caught now!"

He doesn't mean it of course, and his shaking, weak voice betrays his words.

But Sportacus understands.

He understands and sees everything.

How bad Robbie suffered during the past days.

How scared and hurt he is.

How much he wishes for all of this to be just one of these horrible hallucinations.

But they both know it's not.

"We'll get you out of here, Robbie. We'll take you _home_!" promises the town hero once more with as well shaking but determined voice. The felf manages a weak nod and an even weaker, trembling smile "O-Okay… I… I love you, Sportacus…"

"I l-"

" ** _Enough!_** " interrupts Nine's angry yell the happy reunion and all eyes fix on him again when he demands "Guards! Arrest this troublemaker!" and with an evil glare at the hero he snares "We'll take care of _him_ later on…"

"Sportacus…" Robbie's eyes beg him to run away when the guards approach his boyfriend.

But how could the elf leave his boyfriend alone _again_?!

He strictly shakes his head "No. I'll stay. Nobody and nothing will ever manage to part us again!"

Robbie isn't sure what feeling is superior now - affection or desperation…or even slight anger at his friend's stubbornness.

But before he can decide and the guards get too close…

Something strange happens.

The cage and Sportacus get surrounded by dozens of kids that came from the grandstand. They're holding hands and build a shielding, protecting circle around the couple.

And the guards actually stop. Completely puzzled but not daring to come any closer.

Everybody - really _everybody_ \- in the arena just stares in awe at the shield of children, young and old, that nobody would dare to break, because for elves children, no matter elvish, fairy or human (just not felvish of course) are secret and must not be harmed or treated rough in any way no matter the reason.

"…What… How… Why…" but before Robbie can even formulate a proper question the answers already step up to them and he feels the tears return "Steph… Ziggy… Pixel… Trixie… Stingy… You… You're all…here?!?"

"Wow, you even remembered all of our names!" Stingy smirks, but it's a rather soft smirk.

Robbie just nods dumbfounded and still completely perplex. Sportacus on the other hand starts to smile broadly and obviously relieved "Perfect timing, Guys! You're the best!"

"We know," Stephanie smirks and hugs him shortly before turning to the cage, approaching it with a genuinely happy smile "Robbie!"

" ** _Stop!_** Don't come closer! You…"

"It's okay, Love," interrupts Sportacus him soothingly "They aren't magical. The barrier won't hurt them."

"See?! You just ran out of excuses!" she laughs and hugs the felf through the bars of the cage. "…Steph…" Robbie starts to sob even worse again and falls to his knees to be able to return the embrace. Badly shaking by now.

The other town kids don't wait long before they start greeting him and cheering and telling him how much they missed their beloved mischief maker.

It's almost too much for the poor felf but by now he long isn't ashamed of his crying anymore and feels incredible happy to receive all these loving gestures.

They truly came to save him…

" ** _Enough!!! Arrest all of them!_** " screams Nine suddenly almost hysterically.

Sportacus and Robbie both tense up and the felf reflexively hugs Stephanie tighter.

But the guards still don't move.

And the judge warns his younger, overzealous supporter "These are children. You can't let them be arrested. But I demand an explanation for all this tumult!"

"Yes, noble judge…" Nine grits his teeth and turns back to the audience and the people gathered around the cage, his voice forced a little calmer but still audible angry "Kids! What are you doing?! You're…"

"The other kids of LazyTown told us what _really_ happened!" calls one of the older elvish boys. And a younger girl adds "And that Robbie is nice and always plays with them and teaches them important stuff!"

"Yes! Just like their hero Sportacus!" supports another girl.

Nine's face turns a light shade of red "But these are all **_lies_**! They…"

"What, Vígamaður? Do they try to manipulate all of us just like the felf did?!" Járn also steps down the grandstand now, but slower and with a certain grace.

"Járn," growls the Elder and gives him a glare that could kill.

A light smirk spreads on the rebel's face at that.

Robbie stares at the new participant of the scenario and he's entirely confused "Who's…that?…"

Sportacus and the kids exchange a short, hesitant glance.

Then the town hero moves as close to the cage as possible for him, his voice soft "Robbie… Please don't get a heart attack now…"


	152. Change!?

"M-My…" Robbie feels the world spinning around him and he knows that if he wasn't kneeling already he'd collapse on the ground now.

"Yes! Járn is your dad, Robbie! Isn't this great?!" Stephanie smiles happily at him without letting go of him completely "He helped us and also brought us here in the first place! He…"

"Robbie, are you all right?" interrupts Sportacus her worriedly "You're pale as ash…"

"Y-Yeah… I-I…am…fine…" stammers the felf without taking his eyes off the approaching elf.

He still can't really process this overwhelming information.

It's just too much for him…

But what's new for _him_ obviously isn't for Nine.

The Elder has already recovered from his first surprise and smirks evilly now "Well, look who we've got here! If this isn't the former Elder who escaped the punishment for having a bastard son just so, and is now living in exile! Hello, old 'friend'."

Járn doesn't react on his mock.

Neither does he look at the kids, Sportacus or Robbie.

Instead he turns to the audience and says loud and clear "This court hearing is _wrong_. For decades we've been telling our children that felves are cruel, heartless, powerful creatures that crave to enslave those that aren't as strong as they are. Or that they are out of control and too powerful to be left alone and in peace because even an apparently peaceful felf is a ticking time bomb ready to explode. This fear of felves has been handed down from generation to generation and rarely anybody questions it. But the _true_ reason for that is that the Elders fear anybody who could be more powerful than them! Yes, the felves that survive their birth mostly are stronger than us. Than our 'noble Elders' even. But they are not evil! Just like our elvish children they simply need somebody who shows them how to control their powers! They've got the right to live! Just like _every_ creature on this planet! And just because _we_ are afraid that we won't be the most powerful human beings anymore when we allow felves to _live_ the life they were born for doesn't mean we can just _forbid_ or even _kill_ or ' _clean_ ' them! Robbie Rotten…" he points at his son now but still without looking at him "…is the perfect example of a felf with huge power but who until now lived his life in a human town among friends. Among kids. He didn't know who he was but now that he does he's scared of himself. But _why_?! He never hurt anybody with his powers! Ever! But the stories we tell the world about how horrible his kind is, is enough to make him forget all that. And now he believes himself a monster! But he isn't! He's teacher, friend… _boy_ friend…" now Járn finally looks at the felf and his expression is that of a loving father "…son…" then he turns back to the audience again "He's part of a family. And he never did anything wrong. At least none of these things he deserves the punishment of a murderer for! Do you all really want that?! Do you want the Elders to sentence him to a procedure that is very likely going to kill this _innocent_ man?! Or do we finally _learn_ and _change_ something!? Do we let these brave children teach _us_ a lesson for a change?!" he glares at Nine "…Or do we stick to the obvious wrong believing of a few?…"


	153. Rebellion!?

The long thoughtful silence that had set in after Járn's speech doesn't mind when Bessie and Milford now join their friends in the arena, and some elves leaving the grandstands now, taking off jackets or overalls to reveal their black uniforms underneath.

Neither does anyone of the audience mind when Járn, Sportacus and the LazyTown kids do the same.

Robbie is the only one looking around in utter confusion and disbelief when the arena slowly gets filled by more and more elves…and not even all of them are wearing these suits…

The thoughtful silence however does get disturbed by a single, hard, cold laugh now "What's that supposed to turn into, Járn?! A little rebellion because you suddenly develop feelings for a bastard son you couldn't care less for over twenty years or so?!"

"I _always_ loved Robbie! Just like his mother did! It broke her heart that we had to believe him _dead_ for so long! And ever since I know that he's alive and where he was, no day passed that I wished and struggled with the thought to visit him! But I _couldn't_! Because I _knew_ then _you_ would notice and follow me to arrest him! It was a constant battle between finally seeing my own child again and never doing so to keep him save!"

"This pathetic outpour doesn't change anything about the fact that you just admitted that you've betrayed your very own kin and misused the trust of the elders! _Plus_ …" now Vígamaður smirks again "…you rather ran away and hid like a coward back then instead…"

"Enough!"


	154. Elder!?

"Enough!"  
Everybody winces at this sudden call.

And when the highest Elder and judge now steps up next to Nine he gives both of the verbal fighting elves a stern look "This is a court hearing. Not some pub where you two try to clear your since your childhood ongoing quarrel for the first place."  
"But…"  
"No 'buts', Vígamaður!" cuts the other him off quite sharply "This is not your personal revenge against your peer. And if it is, you have just as few right to stand here as a trusted Elder as Járn does!" he now turns to Robbie's father "And as for you, Járn… You and your friends have the right to be here. And you also have the right to stand up for your beliefs. But…"  
"Noble Vitur!" Járn is aware of the surprised silence that fills the arena again when he says the Elder's name for the first time today and he uses it for his advantage "I apologize for interrupting you. But before you say any more, I have to ask for permission to show evidence that Vígamaður's story isn't true but that these kids told the truth. That he misused his given power as an Elder. And that he tortured Robbie without any reason!"  
Nine laughs "Puh! Do you really think…"  
"Silence!" cuts Vitur him off once more "We'll hear this case and listen to Járn just like we did when we had to doubt _him_."  
"Thank you, your Honor! Sportacus…" Robbie's father does a small gesture for the town hero to come to him, smiling at the couple.

"But Vitur! Járn is a traitor! And a manipulator! We shouldn't…"  
"Vígamaður, what did I tell you?!"  
Robbie doesn't really notice the dispute on the podium.

He's too puzzled and looks at his friend who's about to follow Járn's order "What now? What are you doing, Sportacus?" and silently he begs 'Please, don't leave me!'.

His boyfriend smiles softly and assures "It's gonna be okay, Robbie. Your crystal will help us save you."  
"…My… But… What… How…" the poor felf doesn't understand anything anymore and he's still afraid for his friends and especially Sportacus of course.

Stephanie senses this and gently pats his arm "Don't worry. We have a plan!"  
"A…plan?…" echoes Robbie and looks how Sportacus walks over to Járn "A plan…with the fake crystal I manipulated?…"


	155. Intentions!?

It takes about ten minutes for the two guards to get the device Járn demands.

And five for setting it up.

A quarter of an hour during which Nine does everything to convince the Elders, especially Vitur, that all this is wasted time and that the felf, the traitor Járn and their friends only try to manipulate all of them.

But he falls on deaf ears and even catches a sharp warning to stand back.

A quarter of an hour during which Bessie and Milford made their way to Robbie's cage and greeted the very confused and almost disoriented man warmheartedly.

A quarter of an hour during which Sportacus can't help but wonder whether there hadn't been a, especially for Robbie, less stressful way to free him.

Because one look back at his face is enough for the town hero to notice that his poor boyfriend is close to a nervous breakdown.

He's simply too weakened to cope with even more stress and fuss than usually in LazyTown.

Stephanie can see that too and she tries to calm the friend a little.

But finally everything is ready.

"Sportacus…" Járn smiles softly at the hero and invitingly gestures at the strange appearing seat with a helmet that reminds a little of a dryer hood, but with two antennas on top. "…What…is this thing for?…" asks Robbie lowly, audibly scared when his boyfriend now takes a seat and lets Járn help him put the helmet on correctly.

"Járn explained it to us. A magic stone like you sent Sportacus only works with the person it's supposed to show whatever information it's hiding. But because Járn wants to use it as an incontrovertible evidence for your innocence and Nine's guilt, _everybody_ here has to see its content when Sportacus activates it. That's what the helmet is for…" explains Pixel lowly.

"Well _everybody_ but us…'humans'…" corrects Stingy "…And the elvish kids, because they're too young and haven't developed the ability to…"

"…catch up this mind frequency the helmet is using, yes!" Pixel nods and receives a slightly miffed glare of Stingy for interrupting him.

"And _you_ probably won't get it either, because you're in this cage," remarks Stephanie quickly when she sees Robbie's slightly panicky expression.

The inventor sighs lowly, slightly relieved "Good… I don't think I can cope with whatever it picked up and saved…"

"So you _did_ manipulated the fake stone purposefully?!" Milford tilts his head a little surprised.

That has been a huge question of the friends the whole time already.

Robbie shrugs weakly "When Sportacus has been unconscious and I had the stone in my pocket I just…wished that I could be entirely sure that I'm not what Nine believes me to be… And then I tried to think about a message that I'd leave for Sportacus… I could sense that this caused something in the stone, but I wasn't sure what… But if they want to use it against Nine now…I take it, it's something…that will give away his real intention…his memory or something… Kinda like he used Sportacus' stone against him as well, extracting his memory from it… But…it wasn't like I really knew what I was doing back then, no… And giving it to Nine afterwards was also more of an…impulse…" his voice breaks and he starts to shake "…What… What if it'll hurt him?! He… He mustn't do this! Stephanie! Please, stop him! He'll listen to you!"

"Robbie, calm down. Járn says it's totally safe for him."

"And what if Járn is playing him?! What if he's ready to do and sacrifice _everything_ for stopping Nine!?" the inventor's breath becomes erratic.

Stephanie gives him an astonished, almost shocked look "Robbie… Járn is your _dad_! He'd _never_ do that!"

" _He_ told you all that! What if…" Robbie stops mid-sentence when he realizes that he sounds almost as paranoid and thinking about conspiracy and that everybody he doesn't know or who is different than most is bad…like Nine does.

He looks at Sportacus again and catches his soft, calming smile.

"…Okay… You are probably right…" he looks back at the girl and smiles weakly "Sorry, Steph…"

"Na, it's okay," she returns the smile softly and gently pats his shoulder.

"You're reasonable nervous after all you've been through," agrees her uncle pitifully. And Ziggy adds "Yeah… But your dad is really great!"

Robbie smiles weakly but friendly "Well, if you say so, Candyboy…"

"Dear audience, I plead for silence now!" calls Járn in this moment loud but in a warm voice "Sportacus will now read the memory stone and agreed to let us all be witnesses of the truth it's bearing," his voice takes on a mysterious tone "Ladies and gentlemen. We proudly present: the unmasking of Vígamaður…"


	156. Unmasked!?

"My parents got killed by felves!"

"Uhm… Vígamaður… How do you…get that idea, boy?"

"I remember it! And felves are bad, just like you said, Sir!"

"Well… Yes. But you can't…"

"They killed my parents and that's why I'm here now!" snapped the kid and crossed his arms in front of his chest.

"Enough, Vígamaður! I don't want to hear another word of this, or you'll get punished! I wish to finish the class without any further interruptions! Understood?"

"…Yes…" murmured the boy and looked aside.

"What was that?"

"Yes, Sir."

"Aha. Good. Then we'll go back to topic…"

 

"My parents were famous felf hunters! Do you _really_ think you can beat _me_ , Járn?!"

"Whatever your parents have been is of no matter as long as _you_ keep fighting like _that_!" mocked the other teenager with a laugh and sent Vígamaður flying through the sports hall with a strong boost of energy.

He needed a moment after he hit the ground, but then he jumped up with a growl ready to attack.

His eyes were gleaming with anger and hatred.

"Okay, enough for now!" the teacher stepped between the two fighters and raised both hands in a stopping motion "Járn, that was pretty good already, but remember to put more energy behind it in serious fights. Vígamaður, you were blinded by rage and let your guard down. You have to work harder on that. Don't let yourself get provoked this easily. Both of you understood?"

"Yes, Sir!" Járn nodded and turned around.

Vígamaður looked after him with still gleaming eyes while murmuring as well "…Yes, Sir…"

 

"You are both in your senior year at this hero school! You should be ashamed to get into a physical fight at this age! And you were lucky none of you got seriously hurt during this nonsense! So whatever problem there is between the two of you will cause no further incidents from now on! Or else I have no choice but to exclude you from this school. And that would be a shame since you're our best students among your peers. But we won't allow this kind of rivalry between our students! Is that understood?"

Silent nodding.

"Good. Then shake hands and make up!"

 

"…And now applause for our valedictorian - Járn!"

The young man was greeted with cheerful applause from the entire hall of students and teachers when he climbed on the podium and cleared his throat for holding his speech.

There was only one pair of hands that didn't clap.

Vígamaður was standing in the crowd with his arms crossed and a hurt, but mostly angry glare. Nobody cared that he was openly displaying his hatred for Járn, because nobody was paying him any attention.

But at least he was confident that this would change.

That one day he'd best his rival.

And until then he was glad that he wouldn't have to see him every day anymore…

 

"Járn is becoming an Elder?! That can't be true!" Vigamaður slammed his fist on the desk in front of him before he balled up the letter in his other hand and threw it across his airship "Why are they doing this to me?? What did **_he_** ever do I didn't do as well?! **_Nothing!_** And how do they even **_dare_** to invite me to his ceremony?! To mock me?! If my new mission wouldn't start in a few days, I'd dig up so much dirt around him that they'd **_exclude_** him **_completely_** from this circle and not **_promote_** him!"

He took a few deep breaths in and forced himself to calm down.

"Okay… Let him have his little triumph. The bigger they are, the harder they fall… And he **_will_** fall!…"

 

"A kid! He's got a kid with a fairy! That's too perfect to be true!" lowly cheering, Vígamaður left the village of the humans and with this the talkative woman of the grocery behind.

That was his lucky day.

And it hasn't even been that hard to dig up dirt of his old rival.

Perfect!

The card house was set.

Now all he had to do was blow against it a little.

"Járn's world will tumble and crumble until there's nothing left but ruins!"

 

"This little bastard!" swore the elf while bandaging up his hand.

Once again one of those silly inventions of the rebellious boy Robbie Rotten had exploded and hurt Vígamaður and almost the other kids as well.

"If I could only prove that he's a felf! But he doesn't only look perfectly human, his aura also doesn't give away any kind of magical roots! How is that even possible?! I _know_ that Járn is his father and this fairy his mother! But either he actually doesn't have any powers or he'll only develop them when he's grown up. That would explain why he survived his birth at all… But that means I'll have to wait to finally complete my vengeance… Wait…and return to LazyTown later when I can execute the punishment that is meant for felves. And I'll make sure Járn will witness this…and feel the pain he deserves…"

 

That couldn't be true!

This young, foolish, awfully _nice_ elf couldn't possibly go on _his_ mission!

 _He_ was supposed to capture this rotten felf and bring him here!

Not this…Sportacus!

"Rotten is a dangerous subject. I don't think it's a good idea to let a completely inexperienced young hero take on this mission on his own! I have been in this town already and watched over this man when he's been a child. I should at least accompany…Number Ten."

"That's a very generous and thoughtful offer, Vígamaður, but your services are required here. You're an Elder now. And you know how well trained our young heroes are. Sportacus will earn experience on this mission. But you're welcome to follow me now when I send him off and give him some tips."

"Yes that's…a good idea. I'll come gladly…" Vígamaður forced a smile, but if the other Elder had taken a closer look, he'd have seen the anger reflected in his eyes…

 

"I volunteer for this mission. I know this town, and especially this villain best."

"I agree that the alarm of the crystal is worrying and that this Rotten appears to be a greater problem than we thought. And we'll send someone to capture him and look after Sportacus. But an Elder…"

"With all dutiful respect. This has been _my_ mission all along. And I told you that it was irresponsible to send a completely inexperienced young hero out to stop such a troublemaker. We can't risk to lose even more heroes on this mission. I will go. Even if I have to talk with our highest Elders to get the allowance…"

"All right… You convinced me. Chose some guards to assist you and take the new airship."

"Yes, Sir. I won't disappoint you!" Vígamaður nodded thankfully and bowed a little, but when he turned to leave the other elder's office, the smile on his face was replaced by a dark smirk. 'Soon,' he thought 'Very soon I'll finally get my revenge. And then I'll make sure that this Rotten belongs to the six percent who _don't_ survive the Cleansing…'

 

 

 

'Sportacus. I… I don't even know what I'm doing right now… You're still sick and unconscious and… And I don't think we'll ever see each other again… And I… I just want you…need you to know that…I love you. With all my heart. With…whatever I truly am… And I wish we had more time to…to do…whatever people who love each other usually do. Huh… I warned you. I'm bad at this. Bad at…emotions…and at…close relationships… But…you made me the best I could be I guess… And I'm thankful for that. Whatever happens now with me… I know that I'm not a complete villain. I felt happy and good with you. And now all that I care about is that you will become completely healthy again. So… I… God, I'm babbling. And I don't even know if whatever I'm trying to do works! So just… Just know that I love you, okay? More than anything. More than my own life… And… And when you get back to the kids… Tell them that I… I'm glad that we became real friends…in the end… And that none of you _dares_ to cry after me or something! Remember, I…was your _villain_ most of the time and… Oh… Who am I kidding… Just… Just take care of them, will you? And of yourself… I… I will never forget any of you, no matter what. I love you…'

 

 

 

There have been many more memories of Vígamaður than that of course, but these were the most important turning points where neither Sportacus nor Robbie has been present.

And the ones who clearly give away his hunger for revenge and his decision to practically make sure that Robbie gets killed by the Cleansing…

 

And then there has been Robbie's message for Sportacus…


	157. Reunion?!

" _Robbie!_ " Sportacus takes the helmet off quicker than Járn can help him do so.

Then he jumps up from the chair and runs towards the cage.

"Sportacus, wait! The barrier…" calls the inventor with tear muffled voice.

But his concern for his boyfriend getting hurt is unnecessary.

"What…" he gets hugged by the elf through the bars and his brain is too emotional and too exhausted to be confused about this sudden disappearance of the magical barrier for longer than half a minute.

"What the hell is that?!" Vígamaður sees this disallowed body contact and calls angrily " ** _Quick!_** Guards, we have to restore the barrier! The felf…"

"I broke it down," interrupts Vitur calm but strict and then gestures at one of the guards.

The elf shows the key to the elvish and human kids who are still forming a living barricade around the cage and they let him pass.

Just two minutes later Robbie is free and shaking and noticeably scared, and confused leaves the cage.

Vígamaður is horrified " ** _What are you doing?!?_** You're setting a felf free it took **_years_** to capture! This is **_madness_**!"

"Vígamaður! You are not only disrespectful to your Elder in this moment, you have been misusing your heroic status for an act of revenge against your peer! And you have been manipulating evidence and lying concerning the actions and crimes this felf committed. You are dismissed of your hero title from this moment on and there will be an investigation of your crimes against justice, the Elder's circle and our highest ethic of respecting every human life!"

" ** _What?!_** "

"Guards. Arrest him."

"You don't **_dare_**! I captured this felf! I risked **_everything_**! Why don't you **_finally acknowledge_** me?!?"

"Acknowledgement gain the people who deserve it, Vígamaður. Not the ones betraying and plotting against your own kind."

" ** _Own_** kind?! This is a **_felf_**!!!"

"This is getting old, you know?" interferes Járn now calmly with a light smile while he's standing there with crossed arms and tilted head "Yes, I made a mistake all these years ago. Not the one to fall in love with Robbie's mother. Love never is a mistake. But I admit that we should have been more careful…not to have a child. For the safety of the world and _especially_ for the child's sake…"

Robbie winces in Sportacus' embrace and the hero quickly hugs him tighter to soothe him, giving the older elf a hard stare.

Járn notices this and continues with a soft smile "Please, let me finish, Sportacus. The power of a felf is hard to control, yes. Harder than that of an elf or a fairy. And that Robbie and his mother even survived his birth was luck…and fate… And my mistake was to leave him on his own among humans who couldn't teach him about his powers. That's why he could've become an involuntary threat to everybody, including himself… But it's also not impossible to control his powers unlike the elders believed for so long. You proved them all wrong, Robbie. My Dear," he steps closer and reaches out to cup the felf's cheek "My son…"

But Robbie winces back and tries to hide his face in Sportacus' arms.

He's shivering.

And he just wants to shut his ears and eyes and drown in black silence for a moment.

The only thing, the only _person_ keeping him from breaking down completely is the town hero who came for his rescue.

Like he always does.

Always did since the first day he arrived in LazyTown.

LazyTown…

What would Robbie give to be there right now.

Yeah, he'd even enjoy hearing the noise of playing kids!

But no…

All he hears now is the continuing arguing of Vígamaður, Vitur and Járn…his father…

He hears it, but his brain puts no sense to their words.

Only when Vígamaður starts screaming his protest of being arrested and led away to prison out of the arena, he reacts again with a low whimper and buries his face even more into his boyfriend's neck.

"Robbie?" murmurs Sportacus a little worried and gently strokes his head "Robbie, are you all right?"

"I… I…don't…" the inventor starts to shiver even worse and even sounds like hyperventilating a little.

"Robbie…" Sportacus tries to push him off his shoulder to look him into the eyes, but the other starts flailing at once "Robbie, look at me!"

"I'm…trying…" murmurs the other and struggles to keep his eyes open, a mild smile washing over his face when his hand weakly squeezes Sportacus' arm "Did we… Did we…win?"

"Yes," tears fill the hero's eyes and he cups Robbie's cheek. Sportacus smiles when the other doesn't flinch away at his touch, but he also notices Járn's sad look when he has to realize once again that his own son trusts his declared former enemy and now boyfriend so much more than his own father.

But the next second Robbie demands all of his attention again when his legs suddenly give way beneath him and he falls heavily in his hero's arms.

"Robbie!"

"I'm…okay…" mumbles the inventor weakly, his eyes already falling shut "…Just…sleepy…"

The next second he whimpers lowly when a warm, broad hand that doesn't belong to Sportacus is placed on his forehead.

But he's too weak to fight.

"Take the kid to the hospital. He needs treatment and care…and the right food," states Vitur, who the hand belongs to, now calmly.

Sportacus looks at him, still a little suspicious "But no fruits! His body isn't working like ours. He needs…"

"…sweets. Yes. Don't worry," Vitur smiles friendly at him "We won't hurt him even more. You have my word, young Hero."

"Okay… Thanks!" with a relieved sigh, Sportacus now simply picks Robbie up in his arms.

Albeit with a light huff and a short tremble in his own legs.

"Sport…" mumbles Robbie weakly but as angry as he can "Don't. You're…"

"I'm good. Really. I'll take you to the hospital. I won't let go of you until we're there! That's definite!"

"You…stubborn blue…elf…"

" _Your_ stubborn blue elf," whispers the hero and plants a soft kiss on Robbie's cheek.

There's a many voiced 'Awwwwww!' going through the arena the very next second.

The inventor blushes very lightly due to his pale, tired looking skin, but smiles softly.

He doesn't have to open his eyes to know that they're escorted by the town kids and Bessie and Milford.

And this knowledge soothes him.

But on the other hand he doesn't really care or even wonder whether Járn and the doctor who helped him also join the small caravan to the nearby hospital.

And neither does Sportacus or the other citizens of LazyTown.

All they care about and focus on is Robbie's safety and health.

Everything else can be taken care of when this nightmare is truly over once and for all…


	158. Awakening?!

"Hmm…" Robbie's eyelids feel too heavy to open.

But that's not that unusual.

His throat is dry.

Not too special either.

This happens when he falls asleep after a day of building and inventing and forgetting to drink.

And the rest of his body…feels strangely numb…

Okay, even that happens from time to time…

But what puzzles him is that all this occurs _together_ this time.

And…there was something that happened before he fell asleep…

Whenever this has been.

But what was it?

He only remembers his strange dream…

And the word 'felf' suddenly feels far too real to be just out of that dream…

Maybe…

 

A hand on his cheek interrupts his thoughts and his body knee jerky reacts with a whimper and an unsuccessful attempt to shuffle away from the touch.

"Shush… Sh, sh, sh… It's okay, Robbie. It's me…" the hand is pulled back even before the soft voice starts to assure him.

Robbie stops whimpering and raises a brow with still closed eyes.

He knows this voice.

This awfully wonderful soft voice…

"…Spo-" he coughs and the sudden burning in his throat forces tears into his eyes.

But when he tries to blink his eyes open, everything is a wild blur and he whimpers again. "Hush," the hand now takes Robbie's very carefully and squeezes it reassuringly "Don't talk. Breathe, Robbie. It's okay. Everything is okay."

Is it?

Robbie isn't so sure about that…

"…Wh-Where…" he breaks into another coughing fit and tries to sit up.

"Easy," Sportacus carefully slips an arm under his back and helps him to sit up, still holding on to his hand, his voice is low and soothing "We're at the hospital. Everything is fine. You still need rest, but…"

"H-Hos…pital?" rasps the inventor and blinks a few more times to finally clear his vision and look at the hero at his side "Why…"

But then it hits him with full force.

This was no dream.

This was real!

He's a felf!

He, Sportacus and the citizens of LazyTown are in the land of elves!

They saved his life!

He met his father!

And he and Sportacus…

"Robbie! Breathe!"

He winces when Sportacus suddenly puts a respiratory mask over his face and realizes only now that he's started to hyperventilate.

"Hm!" he reflexively shakes his head and breaks into a cold sweat.

He doesn't want this mask!

He wants it off!

"Robbie," Sportacus carefully cups his cheek again and looks him deep into the eyes, his own soft and warm "Please, try to calm down. Breathe. I'll take it off again then, but first you have to calm your breathing," his hand moves down to Robbie's chest and very gently starts to push down on it rhythmically to guide him through several minutes of hectic breathing…

 

"Hm…hm?" with a weak smile Robbie searches Sportacus' eyes.

"Right away, Love."

Robbie winces and his eyes grow wide.

Blushing scarlet, Sportacus gently removes the breathing mask and murmurs "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to…shock you. It's just…"

But before he can finish his apology Robbie suddenly wraps his arms around his neck, pulls him down and into a deep kiss with trembling lips and closed eyes.

A whole minute later they part again.

Both slightly panting.

Both looking deep and loving into each other's eyes.

Both with a deep but happy blush on their cheeks.

"I-I'm sorry, Sportacus!" stammers Robbie and lowers his eyes "…I… I just…had to make sure…"

"Shush," with a light smile the hero gently pushes his chin up and places a finger on Robbie's lips, murmuring "Don't apologize for a perfect moment, Love…" then he carefully cups his cheeks, bows down and kisses him again.

Even softer and yet more passionate and loving than before.

And Robbie melts completely.

His eyes flutter shut and finally he manages not to think anything and allows himself to just _feel_.

After they detach from each other again Sportacus notices Robbie's soft, dreamy smile and his still closed eyes and smiles himself.

"You look absolutely mesmerizing when you smile, Robbie… Have I told you that already?" he softly strokes his cheek. Robbie blushes dark red again, but smiles even more while softly hitting the hero on the chest "Don't overdo it with your cuteness, Sportacompliment. I'm not sure I can handle it…at this point of our…our…"

"Relationship?" helps Sportacus softly.

"Yeah… Relationship…" Robbie absently takes one of Spartacus' strong hands between his own and starts playing with it and strokes and squeezes it.

Sportacus knows this already.

It's a way to relieve stress for the other.

But this time the hero believes it's a kind of positive stress.

"Sport… How long am I here already? And where are the others? They're all right, right?!" Robbie's eyes and voice grow worried.

"Yes. They're fine and glad that you'll recover completely again. Vitur offered them a flat near the hospital, but they insisted on staying in one of the restrooms right here to be closer to you…us…"

"You didn't leave my room for more than going to the loo, did you, Sportaclingy?" the inventor tries to sound scolding, but the emotion in his voice is superior and he softly traces the veins on the hero's hand with one finger "For how long?"

"Six days."

" _What?!_ " Robbie sits up straight at hearing this and stares at him "You… You're telling me you haven't left this room for _six whole days_?!?"

"Except for 'going to the loo' as you described it, yes. Why?" Sportacus tilts his head.

"Why?! Well, Mister I-can't-sit-still-for-more-than-three-minutes, what do you believe?!" Robbie's voice breaks a little "You haven't left this room for almost a whole week…because of me… I just… I don't understand…"

"You're more important to me than anything else, Robbie. Than any _one_ else could or will ever be."

"But moving is…your life! How…"

"It _was_. Now _you_ are my life, Robbie," Sportacus smiles almost amused.

But Robbie shakes his head "It can't be that simple."

"But it is. Robbie," Sportacus softly cups his cheek with his free hand again and looks him deep into the eyes "It may take some time…but I'm sure you'll understand soon that you are more important to me than anything else. Even more than my…flippedy-floppedy."

The inventor smiles softly again and nuzzles into the gentle hand on his cheek "I already know that… You wouldn't have taken the risk to try and save me otherwise… What I still consider crazy! But also…lovable and incredible sweet of you."

"Sweet?" the hero chuckles.

"Yeah. Sweeter than the best pie the world can offer," Robbie blushes again, but his eyes shine with affection. And Sportacus returns the happy look.

Until Robbie's gaze suddenly drops and he looks away.

"What? What is it, Robbie? Aren't you feeling well?!" asks his boyfriend concerned and searches his eyes again.

"No… Are you… Will you…" Robbie swallows "…stay here now? This…is your home…right?"

"Oh, Robbie," the other sighs relieved and softly, soothingly squeezes his hand "It's not. My home is with you and the kids. LazyTown has become my home. There's nothing that could keep me here. Except…of you…" now it's his turn to become worried "Don't you think…you might…want to stay with your dad…"

"My dad? I…hardly know him. All that I know is that he saved me…"

"That's exactly the reason. You should talk with him. He refused to leave the hospital as well. He is so happy that he finally found you…"

Robbie looks aside and says nothing but he starts kneading Sportacus' hand more nervously again. The hero lowers his head a little to look at Robbie's face from a less threatening appearing angle "Robbie…"

"I don't want that…" whispers the other now barely audible and a single tear rolls down his cheek.

"What?"

" **I don't want this man to be my father!** " Robbie's yell is so loud it shocks even himself and he winces while his tears fall freely now. Sportacus didn't wince at his yell. He's surprised by his boyfriend's reaction but not that shocked. Neither by the fact that the next second the inventor turns on his side and goes into fetal position, hugging his knees to his chest.

He's mumbling to himself "I had no father until now. The man that pretended to be my father didn't act like one. I need no new one now that I'm a grown man!"

"Robbie. That's not really fair to Járn, is it? All he did was trying to protect you since the day you were born…"

"And made me live a hell of a life being bullied and threatened by this Víga-something!" Robbie hugs his legs even tighter and growls in his depressed-anger voice Sportacus hasn't heard in _months_ "I don't need him! I don't need _anybody_!"

Silence.

Just a whole minute later Robbie realizes what he just said and his body goes into shock.

His voice is small and trembling at his next words "I… I'm so sorry… Sportacus… I didn't… I didn't mean it. I… I…" his stammering drowns in sobs.

He almost winces back when the strong but soft hand of his hero returns to his cheek and only notices now that he must've closed his eyes at one point.

"Robbie. Shush. It's okay," Sportacus is now kneeling next to the bed and his face is right in front of Robbie's, on his lips a very soft, soothing smile "It's all right…"

"No… No, it's not," whimpers the other lowly and sniffs "You have risked and done everything for me and I say such…such…mean things!"

"Hey…"

"No! I told you I don't deserve you! I'm…" but the next second Robbie's self hatred words get shut up by soft but steadying firm lips pressing on his own once more.

This time he cries during the kiss.

And he whimpers lowly.

But Sportacus doesn't stop or pull back.

He continues to kiss him softly but firmly and shows him that no matter what Robbie still thinks and says about himself he loves him and he always will and won't ever quit telling him how wonderful he is until he starts realizing it's true.

But this will take time.

A lot of time.

But they got enough of it now…

When Sportacus finally pulls back again, Robbie is panting lightly and his eyes are wide and still filled with tears. His voice is just a trembling whisper "I'm still so afraid… What if Járn…will become just as the man who raised me? And _don't_ love me? I… I'm not sure whether I could…take this again… Because I'll disappoint him just like I always do… I… I just know that…"

"No. You're mistaken there," Sportacus soothingly starts caressing his cheeks with his thumbs "Robbie. Love. He's your _dad_! You can't disappoint him!"

"Of course I can! He's an elf like you! And he's a hero like you! And now look at me! I'm…the opposite of both of you! That you can bear and live with that…and even somehow…love me…okay. I dare to believe that now. But this stranger? Loving the cause for trouble and the end of his career? I don't think so," Robbie smiles sadly and slowly sits up again, hugging his knees to his chest once more, resting his chin on his knees he stares at the white wall ahead of him "You're too good for this world, Sport. Too pure. You believe in the good in people… And you believe that someone like me can have a better…a loved life… But…you know how clumsy I am. Physically _and_ psychically. Járn…has no idea what kind of person I am. He doesn't know that I'm…this way…"

"But you are _perfect_ the way you are!" contradicts Sportacus firmly and drops down on the bed again, wrapping his arms around his depressed boyfriend.

"No, don't gimme that. Nobody is. But I definitely am even _less_ than most other people! And you know it!"

"But you are Robbie, Robbie! You are what and _who_ you are and that _is_ perfect! I see that! Our friends see that! And your father will too! I _know_ that!"

"Why are you insisting that I get close to him, hm?!" Robbie suddenly gives him a suspicious but mostly scared look, thinking 'Maybe he's trying to convince me to stay here to get rid of me?… No! Stop thinking that! He loves you!'.

He shakes his head, trying to get this thought out of his mind again.

"…Because…you have the chance to…" Sportacus' voice sounds low and small out of a sudden.

Robbie winces and looks at him.

There's a heavy silence between them for a moment.

Then Robbie carefully, leans his head on Sportacus' shoulder and hesitatingly wraps an arm around him "I'm not…the only one who found out more about his past, am I?…"

Sportacus snuggles closer and leans against him, murmuring "Yeah… But that's…not important right now…"

"Ey," Robbie hustles him and gives him a scolding look "I'm the one in this relationship who thinks he's not important. You are _not_ allowed to believe so of yourself. You are there for me and I want to be there for you as well! And I will learn to become better at this! And now tell me everything that has happened during the time we've been separated. Please…"


	159. Apologize?!

Robbie hasn't been aware that he must've fallen asleep in Sportacus' arms again shortly after the hero finished telling him everything he missed while being imprisoned.

Including the fact that shortly after the group brought the unconscious Robbie here after the court hearing the Elder Vitur took Spartacus's hero crystal and 'calmed' it and then held it close to Robbie's chest and like this let the blue lines disappear completely again.

All this under the watchful eyes of the felf's friends of course.

Robbie didn't even notice that they were gone at first but then he felt incredible relieved because no matter what, nobody would be able to control his body again with this magic stone.

Maybe that relieving knowledge helped him fall asleep so fast…

 

And when he now opens his eyes again he notices at once that the night is over and the break of dawn reveals the first shine of the sun falling through the window and gently tickling his nose. A mild smile washes over Robbie's lips and he sighs softly at the realization that he's not only alive but actually…loved and cared about and that now everything will become all right again… "Sport?" he whispers lowly, shyly while his hand searches for the body of his boyfriend behind his back.

He furrows his brows when all he grabs is a big and still warm pillow.

"Sportacus just went to get breakfast for both of you," explains a low voice very softly now. Though Robbie jumps up in his bed and turns his head around to look at the person who spoke. He's shaking and reflexively pulls the blanket tighter around himself in an attempt to hold on to something.

"Easy. It's okay. It's me," Járn is standing at the wall across the bed and shows Robbie his bare palms in a calming gesture "Everything is okay. Nobody will hurt you anymore."

Robbie pulls the cover and the pillow that replaced Sportacus' body tight against his chest and watches the other man in the room carefully like a hawk, not saying anything.

"Robbie…" the other smiles very softly and takes a step towards the bed.

The inventor winces.

Járn stops and his eyes take on a slightly sad glance but his voice remains soft "I know you don't trust me yet. And you have all reason to be angry with me, my son. But please…"

"…Don't call me that…" rasps Robbie and swallows hard, not daring to look away from the other although he knows he can see the tears gathering in his eyes now. Járn lowers his eyes now. And for the first time in his life, Robbie sees an elf giving in to his defeat.

And this feels…utterly wrong to him.

So when Járn now slowly heads for the door to leave in silence, the felf remembers everything Sportacus has told him before and whispers lowly "…Wait…"

The older elf stops and slowly turns his head back to look at him.

Robbie swallows hard again and then mumbles "I'm…sorry… I didn't…mean it like that… I just… I don't know what to do…" Robbie looks down at the pillow in his hands and tries to smoother the fine texture of the cloth.

Very carefully Járn comes over to the bed now and replies softly and just as lowly "Don't apologize. It is I who has to be sorry! Back when you were born I couldn't imagine what could happen to you because of Vígamaður's hatred towards me. I thought you'd be safe with the humans… I was wrong. We were wrong. But please believe me…your mother and I loved you dearly! More than anything! When I lost her I was so sad… But when I got to know that you're still alive I couldn't believe my luck! And though…I realized just during the past few days…that I almost put the sake of our revolution for your kind over _your_ life…the life of my own son… And I can't apologize enough for this. I can only hope…that you'll be able to forgive me sometime…"

Robbie just listens to this and his eyes grow huge. He isn't used being apologized to. Not at all. And not like _that_.

"It's… It's…okay…" he sniffs lowly but tries a wry, shy smile.

"No, it's not. Robbie… I…" Járn reaches for him with one hand but hesitates "I can't make up for all these years that you had to live without the father you deserved… I'd give anything to do so…"

Robbie looks at the outstretched hand of the elf and then takes a deep breath in, closes his eyes and leans in and presses his cheek into the surprisingly soft palm.

His body goes rigid for several seconds and he doesn't dare to breathe or move.

Járn neither. He looks at Robbie with just as wide eyes and as unmoving.

After almost one minute Robbie's body relaxes enough to start breathing again.

After more than three he manages a weak smile and whispers with still closed eyes "Sportacus said…that touches don't have to hurt… That's not their main purpose… And he said…that I should try to allow them more often…by people I…trust enough…"

"So you…trust me?…" whispers Járn with audible emotion in his voice.

"I'm…trying to… I… I want to," whispers Robbie back and opens his eyes to look at his father "Sport said that you heroes don't have parents… It hurts him to know that… And I…realized that I should be thankful to have…a dad who actually cares for me… But I think I need some more time to get used to this thought… There's so _much_ I still have to get used to now…" he sighs softly. Járn smiles and very gently wipes his son's tears away.

Robbie closes his eyes again at this careful touch and breathes in and out in a steady rhythm.

Then he smiles lightly and murmurs with still closed eyes "Sport… Do come closer, Love…"

Járn blinks in puzzlement and then turns his head to look at the door, seeing Sportacus entering with a huge tray with breakfast and a light smile on his face.

"How did you know that he was there?"

Robbie blushes lightly and murmurs "I discovered this ability in prison… I can sense certain things. And I just realized…I sense when Sportacus comes closer or moves further away from me…" he opens his eyes and looks at his boyfriend. Sportacus smiles and after putting the tray on the table next to the bed he grabs one of Robbie's hands and leans in to kiss the felf very softly. Járn watches this with a soft, happy smile and after the couple detaches from each other again he asks lowly "Shall I leave you two alone again?"

"No," Robbie exchanges a quick glance with Sportacus and then shakes his head and reaches out to grab Járn's hand as well "Stay. Please."

"I brought enough for the three of us. Robbie needs his special food, anyway," the young hero grins "Vitur had it delivered just for you. Oh, and for the young felves whose bodies work the same way as yours."

"Young…felves?" Robbie tilts his head. Járn nods "The Council of the Elders is now officially searching for your kind to integrate them in our society. They'll need special training, but they don't have to fear the Cleansing anymore."

"All thanks to you, Robbie," adds Sportacus audible proudly. The inventor blinks slowly and looks between the heroes back and forth "Because…of me? Why…"

"You were the success of our revolution. Your bond with Sportacus and the town kids was strong and pure enough to prove our point to the Elders. Thanks to you the future of the felvish population is saved. So no kid will have to experience what happened to you, Robbie. They can stay with their real parents now. Officially."

"Really?" the inventor looks at Sportacus, still unbelieving "All this…didn't even take a week for them to…decide?"

"Oh, the Elders have always been quick with important stuff. They even talked to the fairies already. And they agreed. There's still a lot to do, but they're working on it…" Járn smiles and softly strokes through Robbie's hair "But enough of this now. You have to eat. And regain your strength."

"Not much to regain there. I'm not the strong kind of man…felf…whatever," Robbie smiles wryly but lets Sportacus slips into bed next to him and take the tray on his lap so they can both eat comfortably. Sportacus gives him a scolding look "You are much stronger than you think, Robbie. Or better you will be again once you've recovered from all this."

"Sure," Robbie gives him a half sarcastic but mostly loving look "You get out the best in me anyway, Sport…"

Járn smiles and then grabs some fruits to eat as well. But unlike Sportacus he sticks to his elvish behavior and remains standing during breakfast. They talk a little about nothing special. Járn likes to hear of Robbie's schemes back in LazyTown and how Sportacus then saved the day and chuckles at their stories.

Sportacus is happy when he notices that Robbie relaxes and warms up more and more to the presence of his father.

Once they've eaten up Robbie cuddles up to Sportacus again, feeling pleasantly tired and lulled in. Járn takes the tray back and returns with the whole LazyTown gang. They enter so silently and carefully that Robbie only notices them when Sportacus very gently strokes his head and murmurs "Robbie, I think someone wants to see how you are…"

"Hm?" with a soft yawn the inventor opens his eyes again and smiles happily at once when he sees the kids and the two adults and he calls softly "Noisy Gang! My saviors!"

What follows are many minutes of happy greetings and careful embraces and then even more minutes of carefree chatting and repeated stories of how they got here and at some point, Robbie and Sportacus end up with five kids cuddled up to them on the suddenly very small appearing hospital bed.

But they don't mind.

Both, the inventor and the elf know that their little friends need this now to realize that Robbie really is save now.

And the felf does as well to realize how much these people care for him…

 

The peace finally gets disturbed after lunch when Vitur visits the 'first official felf'.

"Hello, Robbie Rotten," the Elder greets with a soft smile. The way he said this shows that he must've talked with Stefanie during the time Robbie was asleep.

The felf tries to hide in the blanket on the bed again and shifts closer to Sportacus.

He's aware that this elf did a great part to save his life as well with judging Vígamaður and letting Robbie out of his cage and freeing him of these blue lines. And the way he smiles at him now is friendly and not threatening at all. But Robbie can't help but feeling scared and suspicious nevertheless.

Sportacus senses this of course and gently takes his hand to squeeze it soothingly. Robbie swallows hard and smiles very weakly "Hello…Sir…" he blushes lightly because he feels incredible insecure and starts fumbling with the blanket. Járn gives him a soothing smile as well, but Sportacus notices his slightly worried gaze and tilts his head a little in confusion.

There aren't possibly any bad news now, are there?

The kids sense the tension in the air as well and shuffle closer to Robbie in a once again shielding manner.

Vitur looks from one to the other and then states gently "I'm not here to hurt or put your friend back in jail. I already gave you my word on this."

"Yeah, at least you claimed that, because otherwise we hadn't let any of you guys near _our_ town villain!" reminds Stingy with a glare.

"Stingy!" hisses Stephanie lightly scolding.

But Sportacus can't help a light smile because the boy said 'our' not 'mine' as first impulse this time and this means that he, and probably all the kids have learned some things on this unexpected journey.

Robbie blinks slowly.

Did he hear right?

The kids are still this eager to protect him that Vitur had to pass their judgement before they allowed him to come close to him?!

He doesn't notice the soft, moved smile that washes over his face at this realization, but he does notice the warmth spreading inside of him.

But Vitur meanwhile isn't upset at all about Stingy's remark.

On the contrary.

He smiles broadly "My boy, it honors you that you stand up for the people you care about. But you don't have to fear for Robbie anymore. Vígamaður was a shame for our reputation. We're not cruel."

"But driven by fear of what could be mightier than yourself," remarks Trixie sharply. Stephanie gives her a scolding look as well, but Bessie and Milford just nod, agreeing to the girl. Vitur chuckles softly and looks at Sportacus "I see why you like these human kids so much, Boy. They speak their mind. And they're really smart. So… Trixie, right? Well, you are right. That was our problem. We wanted to protect our own people because we feared Robbie's people would be dangerous for us and the other people. But Robbie showed us that we were wrong. We can't correct our mistakes of the past, but we can make sure not to make more of them in the future."

"We believe you," assures Stephanie now quickly before any of her friends can say anything else, but then she adds a suspicious question herself "But why are you here now? Just to check on how Robbie is doing?"

"Mainly. But I have to admit that I also came here to tell you that it would be better if you stayed here, Robbie."

The felf winces.

Sportacus tenses up.

Járn lowers his eyes.

The kids and Bessie gasp in unison.

Milford…surprises everybody with a shaking of his head once the heavy silence of shock has reached its peak "That is out of question, I'm afraid. Robbie is one of _my_ citizens. And therefore under the protection of our law. As long as he doesn't _want_ to stay here we're taking him back home again!"

Stephanie gives her uncle an impressed and very proud and thankful smile.

Robbie starts to cry silently out of fear to be forced to stay here, but also out of emotion again.

Vitur looks at the major and states interested "You stand up for your people the same way as I do for mine. Therefore you will surely understand the reason for my plead. We won't hurt Robbie or keep him prisoner. You have my word. But his powers are still dangerous as long as he hasn't learned to control them."

"He never used them in a dangerous way before," states the mayor just as calmly.

The group of friends looks at him with growing confusion and disbelief but also admiration. Especially Bessie.

"His powers haven't reached their peak yet. He fell sick because of them. Because neither his body nor mind knew how to handle the sudden burst of power. We can help him to gain control over them. Once he isn't a danger for himself and you anymore he can return home of course. But we need to teach him here first," Vitur smiles softly at Robbie now "Your father is here as well, Robbie. And Sportacus. And we already saw that you're a quick learner. And you have my _word_ that you will get the best treatment and won't have to fear anything here. We're your allies, not your enemies anymore."

"But…"

"It's okay, Pinky," interrupts the town villain Stephanie's contradiction suddenly softly and smiles weakly "I'll be…okay for a few…weeks without you I'm sure…" he looks at Sportacus and carefully strokes his hand, not managing to look him into the eyes "…But they need you… You should take them home and take care of them… I… I'll return as quickly as possible then. I'll do my best to learn everything as quick as I can. Vitur…is right… Like this…I'm too dangerous to be around any of you for long."

"Robbie…"

"You have to think of the kids, Sport. They have to be kept save. And they need you."

Sportacus cups both of Robbie's cheeks and gently nudges him to meet his gaze so he can see the tears in his boyfriend's eyes "But you need me as well. I… I can't leave you alone with this, Robbie. And I won't. I promised you not to leave you when you need me, remember? I won't break my promise!"

Robbie's teary face turns into a frown and he pushes the other's hands off and growls "Don't you understand?! I don't want to hurt you!"

But then he suddenly turns pale and gasps for air again.

"Robbie!" cry the kids shocked and reach out to touch his back and try to help him.

But Sportacus gives them a sign to back off a little and give the inventor more space on the bed. After the kids jumped down he quickly helps Robbie like he did earlier, calmly coaching him through a steadier breathing again.

"You _had_ to attack him with all this just now already, huh?!" snaps Járn suddenly lowly at the Elder and pushes him away from the bed, glaring at him "Robbie just woke up and is still in the hospital and you confront him with everything he's afraid of!"

"I understand your concern but this is important, Járn."

"Not as important as Robbie's health! Which you're just putting at risk again!"

"I am truly sorry for what this young felf had to go through already. But as you heard he understands the importance of this topic and has made the right decision."

"Because he's afraid he could hurt his friends!"

"What we can't exclude as a possibility if he doesn't learn how to control his powers."

"Yeah, but you can't expect him to be stable in a foreign country where he knows nobody but his father he barely started to trust! And we both know that stability is the primary necessity for teaching somebody how to control magic powers. How do you gonna do it anyway?"

"Yes, I do know that. And that's the problem I've been thinking about as well…" admits Vitur now lowly and glances at Robbie who, surrounded and supported by his friends, still struggles to breathe calmly again "…Our teachers for our elvish kids will train the felvish ones now as well. It's the only possibility we could come up with in such a short time…"

"Sportacus has told me a lot about what has happened during the past weeks and months. It's only thanks to his gentleness and care that Robbie manages to try to trust and rely on _anybody_ who is nice to him by now. Vígamaður managed to shatter his faith in the kindness of people so severely it's a miracle he hasn't locked himself up in his bunker completely…"

"You're trying to tell me that he won't be able to trust any teacher enough to actually learn what is necessary, aren't you?" Vitur sighs lowly and watches how Sportacus now hugs Robbie tightly and murmurs soothing words to him.

Then the Elder suddenly starts to smile and looks at Járn again "We're stupid that we don't see the obvious solution for our problem."

"Are we?" Járn tilts his head.

"Yes! Robbie would be most comfortable to be taught at home where he can be with Sportacus and his human friends and by somebody he already knows and trusts at least a little, right? Well, every Elder is officially also a teacher. So the most obvious choice is you, Járn. Especially since you've already some experience with teaching our elvish kids."

"But…I'm no Elder anymore…"

"Oh, jibber-jabber! What has happened here during the past week changed everything. Including your denunciation! Welcome back in your Elder's life, Járn! The question is now: do you agree to join Robbie Rotten in LazyTown and teach him there until he has gained complete control over his felvish powers?"

 

"…I'm…so sorry…" Robbie buries his face in his hands and sniffs lowly.

"What for?" Bessie offers him a glass of water and gives him a puzzled look.

"For behaving like a baby again…" the beloved town villain takes the glass with shaking hands. Stephanie shakes her head "You're no baby, Robbie. You're just stressed out!"

"And you have all right to be!" adds Pixel with a soft smile.

"Yeah! Getting kidnapped and held in jail with the fear of being washed surely is exhausting!" agrees Ziggy compassionately and offers Robbie his biggest lollipop.

The felf smiles weakly but shakes his head.

"'Cleansing', Ziggy. Not washing," corrects Vitur now gently with a smile when he and Járn return to the bed now as well, then he smiles at Robbie "But that's not important anymore because nobody will ever have to go through this procedure again. And now enough of the past. Robbie, forget everything we've just talked about. You belong in LazyTown and with your friends to become quickly all healthy again and in good shape so you can learn how to use your powers. And Elder Járn…your father will gladly come along and teach you there."

A moment of silence passes.

Then the children cheer and hug both Sportacus and Robbie and the hero laughs happily and kisses the felf on the forehead.

Only Robbie pales a little more at hearing this and his voice is shaking "What? But…I… Them… I don't want to endanger them…"

"Don't worry about that, Robbie," Járn smiles soothingly "A great part of your powers you already can control. And you haven't hurt anybody with your magic."

"You are not as dangerous as you think," adds Vitur.

"You're only trying to calm me and talk me into this!" Robbie sits up more and crosses his arms in front of his chest, glaring at both the Elder and his father "But I won't risk the life of Sportacus or my friends ever again! That they came for my rescue is bad enough!"

"Stop talking like that!" interrupts Sportacus suddenly uncharacteristically stern "You sacrificed yourself for me before! That's even worse! And if we don't come to rescue you then we can't possibly call ourselves your friends! And I'd be cursed to call myself a 'hero' if I don't even save the man I love with all my heart!"

Robbie blushes a dark shade of red but mutes at hearing this and just starts fiddling with the blanket again.

Járn chuckles softly.

And Vitur grins "You heard your boyfriend, Robbie. It's essential for both of you that you are together from now on. And these kids need their hero and both their playmates. It's bad enough…that our wrong beliefs and fears took your mother, and separated you from your father, Robbie. I'll do everything I can to don't let you suffer even more. So please, do believe us when we assure you that it's all right to go back home with your friends as soon as the doctors tell us you're fit enough for this again."

The group falls silent and everybody looks at Robbie, waiting for his answer.

The felf senses their gazes and slowly lifts his head, his voice small "So you actually…want me back? All of you? Although I'm…a felf?…"

"What kind of question is that?!" Stephanie tilts her head "LazyTown wouldn't be the same without you, Robbie!"

"Completely boring!" adds Ziggy.

"And that you're a felf only makes it _cooler_!" beams Trixie, but then adds quickly "But it also doesn't matter! We want you back because we always have lots of fun with you!"

"And we also learn a great deal thanks to your schemes!" agrees Pixel.

"And you've never been a _real_ villain, anyway. Otherwise we hadn't invited you to our parties, hm?!" reminds Stingy.

"Probably…" murmurs Robbie and then looks at Sportacus again "You honestly love me? You don't just…pity me?"

"Robbie," Sportacus gently takes his hands again and looks at him with soft, honest eyes "I have and never will love anybody more than you. You are wonderful. And except of what you've been through, not to pity at all. Because I can't think of anybody who is more beautiful or smarter or more warmhearted than you once you drop the facade of the grumpy villain you're not at all. And I will never leave your side again. If you don't want me to."

"I don't," Robbie pulls him in for another deep kiss, mainly to make sure he's not dreaming or fantasizing again.

Then he looks at Járn "And it's really okay for you to leave your hometown to come with us and teach me in LazyTown?"

"Of course!" his father smiles and lovingly strokes his head "Like this I can finally spend some time with my son!"

Robbie closes his eyes and reflexively nuzzles into the fatherly touch again, murmuring "I just hope I'll manage without hurting anybody…"

"You are very talented. Doctor Blíður said so as well. By the way, that's the doctor who introduced himself as 'Sven' to you. That was his cover name while he's been working for us. But no need to hide anymore for him as well… And Sportacus told us that he helped you release your energy before at home. That you managed this without any practice shows that you're a natural," praises Vitur now with a gentle smile.

"You hear that?" beams Sportacus happily "Everything will be all right again soon!"

Robbie smiles weakly but his trembling becomes worse and he leans more against his boyfriend again.

"Robbie?" Sportacus worriedly feels his forehead.

"I'm okay…" murmurs the felf lowly "Just…a little tired…again…"

"He's warm…" whispers Sportacus and gently runs his hand through Robbie's wild hair.

"That was quite some stress for him again…" states Vitur lowly "We should let him rest. I'll be gone now. Just call if you need anything."

"Thank you, Vitur," Járn does a respectful, acknowledging bow then focuses completely on Robbie and asks softly "Shall I leave as well?"

"N…o…" still without opening his eyes, Robbie shakes his head no and cuddles up even more to his boyfriend "Stay…please… All of you… Family…" then his body goes limp in Sportacus' strong, supporting arms and he falls into an almost unconscious and completely exhausted sleep.

Still a little worried but even more moved by his sleepy but therefore honest words the group watches over his sleep now.

The kids and even Sportacus fall asleep as well at one point and so Járn and Bessie and Milford chat quietly and discuss Robbie Rotten's future and past.


	160. Peace?!

Robbie sleeps through until the next morning and the next few days pass similar to the first one.

He sleeps most of the time.

In the mornings he cuddles and talks with his boyfriend and friends until lunch and then has to give in to his exhaustion again.

Only after almost another whole week he manages to stand up and walk around a little in the morning still supported and guarded by his loving hero. Then he has to recover in bed again but at least he stays awake and talks and plays board games with the kids and they read or tell stories to each other into late evening.

From this point on Robbie's recovery goes smoother and faster and soon he begs to be allowed to leave the hospital.

The doctors agree but only after Doctor Blíður promises that he won't leave the felf's side to be able to help in possible emergencies.

So the group of him, Robbie, his boyfriend, father, the kids and the two adults of LazyTown go on a special sightseeing tour in the elvish country.

Especially Sportacus is thrilled to see more of the country he grew up in and yet saw so few of until now.

Blíður's professional support luckily isn't needed for more than suggesting breaks to check on Robbie's condition a few times.

At the end of the day they return to the hospital and the felf falls into his bed.

Completely exhausted but happy and with a deep loving expression in his eyes so the group mutely agrees to leave him and Sportacus alone for this night…

 

"Sportacuddle…"

"Hm?" smiling the hero traces Robbie's jawline with one finger and kisses his cheek.

Robbie blushes cutely but cuddles even closer to him and murmurs "Your… Our origin country…isn't so bad actually… But… I don't think I… Would you… Would you rather…stay here after all?"

"Oh, Robbie…" Sportacus wraps his arms tighter around his boyfriend and sighs softly "How often do I have to tell you, hm, Darling? LazyTown is my real home. But I would stay wherever _you_ are. I can't be without you."

The felf practically breathes in his words then he whispers "I want to go home as soon as possible. It's nice here but…I don't think I could get used to all this…business here… It's… It's stress for me…"

"I know, Love," Sportacus softly nuzzles his nose against Robbie's now "We will leave as soon as the doctors say you're fit enough to travel. Then all you have to deal with is the usual business of LazyTown again."

"I can't wait," murmurs Robbie honestly with a happy smile and nuzzles his face against Sportacus' bare chest now.

"Me neither…" whispers the hero and softly, soothingly starts massaging Robbie's scalp now, reveling in the soft, relaxed, pleased sounds coming from his boyfriend at this.

Even more so when he remembers how reluctantly Robbie let him touch him at all at first.

How far they've come from this point in such short but highly stressful and dangerous time…

"Robbie."

"Hm?"

"I love you," he senses the full body shiver that goes through the felf at his low but deeply emotional words.

"I… I love you too, Sportacus," Robbie's voice is trembling and the thick lump in his throat is audible.

The elf wraps his arms even tighter around the inventor, holding him in a reassuring, strong but loving grip.

And Robbie is thankful for this mute gesture.

He's thankful for everything that Sportacus is giving him.

And he's determined to not disappoint him in any way.

 

 

The next day the group seeks out Robbie's foster parents.

Despite the felf's first protest.

"Robbie, they will be glad to see that you're still alive and out of danger, believe me! And we're with you." These words of Sportacus were enough to convince the nervous inventor.

So now they're standing in front of their door…and everybody is waiting for Robbie to knock. "Maybe…we should leave this idea be," remarks Blíður after a while during which the felf still hasn't moved "Robbie, you still shouldn't stress yourself too much. So if…"

In this moment the door is opened and a man almost runs straight into Robbie.

"Oi! Careful there, Fello-" he stops mid-sentence and freezes, then his eyes widen and he stutters "R-Robbie?!?"

Robbie opens his mouth but nothing comes out.

Járn smiles lightly "Yes, it's really him."

"Margaret! Come and look who's here!" calls the man now excitedly.

Robbie swallows hard and Sportacus gets ready to catch him because for a moment the felf looks dangerously like fainting. But sensing his hero's arm in his back helps Robbie to breathe slowly and regain his composure.

At least until a woman steps out of the house.

"Robbie!" she recognizes her foster son at once and hugs him the very same second she sees him "Oh my dear boy! You've grown so much! What are you doing here?! It's not safe for you! You could…"

"Mum," Robbie is shocked at hearing his own shaking voice pronounce this word, but he isn't thinking in this moment "Mum, it's…it's okay…"

"He's safe here now, Margaret," explains Járn with a smile "A lot has happened during the past two weeks…"

"Really?!" the woman pulls back enough to eye Robbie now, her hands cupping his cheeks now "Aw, but you look so thin and pale! Come in! All of you! Come in, come in! You need to tell us everything!"

And they do.

But Robbie is the only one of the group who doesn't talk. He's just sitting there in silence, holding on to Sportacus' hand and watching his foster parents and his real father talk and act like the old friends they are.

After a while when Blíður takes the lead of speech to explain Robbie's current condition and why he's been asleep for almost a whole week, Sportacus gently and unnoticed by anybody but Robbie rests a hand on the felf's back and starts rubbing calming circles into his tensed back muscles.

Robbie closes his eyes at this and slowly starts to relax and breathe more steadily again.

But he takes several minutes to convince himself that what is happening right now is good. That his foster parents actually care for him in a way although they left him because they were afraid of his powers when he was younger. What calms him the most besides Sportacus' gentle care is the fact that his foster brother isn't living in this town anymore, though…

"We're so glad that you visit us, Robbie!"

The woman's soft voice causes the felf's eyes to snap open again but he isn't scared or alarmed just confused by her words and looks at her "Really?…"

"Of course!" his foster father smiles sadly at him "We raised you as our son…but we made a huge mistake in leaving you behind like this…"

"We're all guilty in this point," adds Járn lowly "We, who swore to love and protect you inflicted so much pain and suffer on you with our actions… That you don't hate us for it shows what an incredible forgiving and warmhearted man you've become all by yourself…without any of our doings…"

Robbie stares at the three guilty looking people and needs a moment to process what he's just heard, then he opens his mouth "That's not…" he stops and suddenly turns pale as ash. "Robbie!" Sportacus looks at him with fear "Robbie, what's wrong???"

Blíður kneels down in front of him at once and feels his pulse "Breathe. Tell us what you need." But Robbie weakly shakes his head, then he whispers "Vígamaður…" he searches Sportacus' eyes "He's… He's…here…"

"What? Robbie. That's impossible. All this must've been too much for you, Son," assures Járn softly and strokes his son's head.

Suddenly the felf's eyes start to gleam and he states in a much stronger albeit still low voice "No. I know what I feel. He's close! I can sense it! In this town! Maybe even in this street!"

"Járn, we shouldn't takes this easy. I've seen what Robbie is capable of. His powers are incredible…" Blíður stands up "Margaret, please get him a glass of water. Sportacus, you don't leave his side," then he goes over to a window and looks out on the street. Járn follows him, alarmed now as well "Are you sure? But this would mean…"

At this moment Robbie grabs Sportacus' hand in a vice like grip and looks at him with woke, alarmed eyes, gasping "We have to get the kids to safety! Vígamaður is in rage! He won't stop for kids this time!" he looks at Margaret who just returns with a glass of water "Mum! Take them into the cellar and wait there until we call you back! Bessie and the mayor too!"

"We won't leave you alone!" protests Stephanie at once.

"Robbie…" murmurs Sportacus carefully "Don't you think this is a little…"

"He's here," Járn takes off his jacket and starts to crack his knuckles, ordering "Sport, Robbie, you go with our human friends. Leave this to Blíður and me."

"No! I will help!" Sportacus jumps up.

"Me too."

"Forget it, Robbie!" Járn gives him a stern glare.

"You heard Blíður! You will need my powers against Vígamaður!" Robbie already pushes the protesting kids towards the next room leading to the cellar. He seems strangely fit out of a sudden.

"You are not ready to fight! You're still weakened and recovering! Not to mention you can't fully control your powers yet!" contradicts the doctor now harshly.

"We don't have time for arguing!" Robbie clenches his hands into fists "I can help!"

His foster parents meanwhile struggle to get the kids and the two adults of LazyTown to hide into the cellar.

"Robbie," Sportacus takes his hand and looks him into the eyes "Please."

"Then come with me!" begs the felf in a desperate whisper, tears running down his cheeks "I won't leave your side again! I _can't_!"

"Go," Járn appears next to them and pushes them both to the door leading down as well "Both of you. I fought Vígamaður when we were kids and always beat him. We'll call you when we arrested him and everything is secure again."

Sportacus gives the other elf a doubtful look.

He has a very bad feeling about this.

But then he looks at Robbie and realizes that the other won't go into safety without him so he takes his hand "We'll protect the kids if necessary."

Robbie nods and then they quickly follow their human friends.

"That's silly. You've taught us that it's always better to face a problem together instead of on our own!" reminds Stephanie now in a low but steady voice "We could arrest him again all together that would be easier, wouldn't it?!"

"Steph, this is no game. And this guy up there isn't me. He's…actually dangerous."

"Robbie is right, Stephanie. Let's stay down here and keep low. I'm sure Járn will call that everything is all right again in a minute," assures her uncle, trying to hide his nervousness not really successfully.

Sportacus and Robbie exchange a short glance.

They can read the doubt of that in each other's eyes and that scares them.

"We have to find a way to contact Vitur…" Robbie runs a hand through his hair.

"But we can't leave the cellar through the door and that's the only way out, Dear," reminds his foster mother softly and reaches out to smooth his ruffled hair back again.

But Robbie reflexively dodges her hand when he now turns with a bright smile at his boyfriend "It's not! The window!" he goes to the far edge of the cellar and the group follows him.

"Robbie, that's too small for any of us to fit through," remarks his foster father carefully.

"For any of us _grownups_ it is," Robbie turns around and looks at Stephanie "But not for you, Steph. I don't want to ask this of you, but…"

"I'll go!"

"Oh my… But Stephanie…"

"Don't worry about me, Uncle! I'll be quick and stealthy! We've practiced that often while playing!"

Robbie smiles lightly but then looks at the mayor "It's your uncle who has to decide that, though."

"Oh… I guess…she might be saver out there than down here…"

"I think so, too," Robbie looks at the other kids "All of you fit through that window. So all of you should go. Head straight to the elvish town, there you'll be safe. Go to the first guard you see and tell him about Vígamaður. And then stay in safety."

"But…"

"No. You'll stay. Accomplish your mission then everything will be all right."

Sportacus admires his boyfriend the whole time in silence already, fascinated and proud of how the felf handles this stressful situation.

Now he nods "Robbie is right."

"I am?" the felf blinks and looks at him truly surprised.

"Yes," despite the danger they're currently in, Sportacus chuckles softly and lovingly strokes his back "You're a very good leader."

The felf blushes a dark shade of red and mumbles something.

But then he pulls himself together and nudges his boyfriend gently "Go and help them up there, Sportatease. We don't have any more time to lose."

Grinning the hero does as told and lifts the kids up so they can open and climb through the small window one after the other, helping each other.

Then Stephanie looks back down again "You hold on, we'll hurry up!"

"But stay together!" reminds Sportacus seriously "And don't do anything stupid please, Stephanie."

"You know us."

"Exactly," Robbie gives her a look "That's why he reminds you. Really, Steph. No playing hero anymore, understood?! None of you! And stay in the shadows until you're far away enough from the house!"

"Yeah, yeah. Promised. Bye!" she rolls her eyes then waves at them again before taking the lead of the group of children.

The adults all stare at the window for another minute, listening to any sounds that could hint at danger for the kids.

But it's silent…

"…too silent up there, isn't it?" whispers Milford suddenly "Shouldn't there be…I don't know…like…fighting noises or something?…"

"Milford!"

"I'm just thinking! Or do you believe they're just gonna talk and set things right again?" asks the mayor hopefully.

"No…" Sportacus swallows hard "I think…either Járn or Blíður caused a silencing room around them… Probably because of the kids…"

"Uh, they can do that? Impressive!"

"And not really encouraging news," adds Bessie with a slightly warning look at the mayor. Milford smiles weakly, apologizing.

"They didn't only cover their sounds…" murmurs Robbie and slowly walks over to the door leading to the stairs. Sportacus follows him so close their arms are touching and notices how his boyfriend's eyes take on a scared expression and that he starts to tremble "Robbie?"

"…They covered their aura… I can't sense them… Any of them… Sportacus," he turns to the hero and begs "I have to check what's going on up there!"

"They told us to stay down here," reminds Sportacus gently and lovingly squeezes his hand "We should…"

"You are the hero who never breaks rules I know! But I am the villain! I'm allowed to disobey orders!" Robbie winces at his own relatively harsh words and lowers his eyes "I… I'm sorry… That wasn't fair… But I have to check on them. On…Dad… Please."

Sportacus looks at him for a moment then he softly cups his cheek and nuzzles his nose against Robbie's "I'll go and make sure that they're all right. You stay here."

"No…"

"Robbie."

"No, Sportacus," the felf gives him a hard stare "You promised you won't leave my side!"

"But…"

"Either we go together or I go alone! He's _my_ Dad after all!" Robbie takes a deep breath in, then he remembers something and looks at his foster parents to make sure he didn't hurt their feelings with this statement. But they just smile and then Margaret nods "Yes, he is, Robbie."

Sportacus takes a deep breath in "Only because you can't feel their aura? Are you sure that's not because you're exhausted? Can you still sense mine?"

"As clear as if I could see it," replies Robbie a tiny bit annoyed, then he grabs his boyfriend's arm and tries to pull him along "Now come on! I…" he sighs and his eyes and voice grow pleading "I need you now, Sport…as the hero you are. _My_ hero."

Sportacus looks at him for a whole minute and he wants to say so badly that he is no hero.

That he never wanted to be one.

That he just wants to take Robbie's hand now and run away with him as far as anyhow possible.

He thought that everything would be fine now.

He thought that they've beaten Vígamaður for good.

But here he is again, a bigger threat than before even…

Sportacus feels so like crying in this moment.

But he doesn't show it.

Because Robbie needs him.

And Robbie's father and the doctor probably need both of them…

"Okay," he nods once and takes Robbie's hand, turning back to the humans shortly "You stay here."

They nod although Bessie and the mayor feel like protesting.

None of them noticed Sportacus' short hesitation.

But the felf did.

He knows his savior well enough by now.

And he can imagine what has been going on in his head.

But they can't allow themselves any kind of weakness now.

Slowly, quietly they open the door and then sneak their way back upstairs.

Soon Sportacus notices that Robbie starts to shake badly. He takes his hand and gives him a questioning look. The inventor shrugs and rubs his arm, signaling that he's cold. And Sportacus…does something so typical for him that is yet so strange for their situation - he takes off his not really warming vest and puts it around Robbie's shoulders.

The felf gives him an unreadable look and then pulls the too small clothes tighter around himself, holding on to it with one hand.

For a split second he's back in time to the days Sportacus did everything to coddle him up in his airship. And although he remembers very well how horrible he felt and how sick he was, he wishes to get back in these days to feel the hero's loving care again without them even guessing in what huge danger they've gotten into already at this point… He wants to feel Sportacus' strong but gentle arms holding him close but carefully and he wants to sense this strange, at this point still unknown warm feeling creeping up into his chest again.

He wants to cry into Sportacus' shoulder and tell him how afraid he is.

But all he does is grab the elf's hand even tighter as they climb up the final steps.

There still isn't anything to hear or for Robbie to sense except that he grows even colder and shivers worse.

Sportacus carefully opens the door and peeks into the next room. The kitchen. It's empty and appears to be safe so he enters and pulls Robbie along. The next door is the one leading into the living room where they left Járn and Blíður behind.

It feels like hours ago but could've only been half an hour at most.

Sportacus gives Robbie a final questioning look with his hand already at the door knob.

The felf nods although he feels as if his legs give way during this.

This is crazy.

They don't have any sort of a plan.

They aren't even really in their best shape.

They both know and think that in this moment but they both know it doesn't change anything about their determination to help the others…and buy the kids more time with this at best.

So Sportacus slowly opens this door now as well…


	161. Fight?!

"You can try to protect your bastard son as much as you like, Járn. It won't do you any good!"

"May I remind you that you never beat me in school, Viggi? Not even _once_!" mocks Járn with a grin.

Blíður laughs out "Viggi?!"

"You haven't won yet, Járno. And this time you won't!"

"We'll see, hm?" the other grins, then he explains for Blíður "We used to tease each other with these names. Well, he was teased but I wasn't."

"Are you two sure you were enemies all the time?" Blíður tilts his head "That sounds more like a 'frenemy'-relationship to me…"

"Don't you _dare_!" hisses Vígamaður and steps closer to the doctor "I _hate_ this…"

"Yeah, and that's why you attacked my boy. You are _so_ brave!" Járn steps between his friend and his enemy and glares at the latter "A _true_ man would've tried to kill _me_ personally not my son!"

"Your bastard son is dangerous filth!"

" _You_ are the dangerous trash can here, Vígamaður!"

"You call _me_ a trash can, you scum?!"

"Is this…gonna take long, you guys?" interrupts Blíður now acted carefully "I've got places to be, you know… By the way, how did you get out of prison, Vígamaður?"

"Do you think I am the only one who still knows that these felves are dangerous enemies?! Not everybody in this town has lost his mind! We'll start a rebellion to save the rest of the people who can't speak up against Vitur's insanity! But first I'm gonna get rid of the cause of all this mess!"

"If you even _think_ about touching Robbie, you'll regret it!" Járn approaches him and his body tenses up, getting ready to fight.

"Járn…" warns Blíður lowly.

He doubts that Vígamaður is here to fight with words.

What is his plan?

"Rotten is just as plain as his father," mocks Vigamaður and shrugs "The fact that he needs all these people, even _kids_ to protect him is ridiculous!"

"You locked him up in a cage that drew his powers from him! He couldn't fight you, you coward! And he only surrendered because he was scared for Sportacus!" Járn clenches his hands into fists and steps closer to the former Elder "You were just _afraid_ of him!"

"Járn," warns Blíður again and steps next to him to hold him back "Don't react on his provocations. We need to arrest him."

"You should listen to your companion, Járn. This time there's no teacher to save you, no Vitur…and no _rules_!" with this, Vígamaður takes a quick step to the side, drawing a knife during this motion and attacks the doctor.

"Hey!" Járn quickly pushes Blíður away and out of reach for their enemy, but he doesn't see the second blade in Vígamaður's other hand "Ah!"

"Járn!"

"Ha! Grown old, haven't you?! Old and slow! That's almost too easy now!" laughs the escaped prisoner and attacks again.

Járn doesn't even look at the deep, bleeding cut on his arm. He dives under the attacking blades and then tries to grab his arms and force them back.

But he stumbles over his own legs and hits the living room table.

Járn manages to catch himself and get back on his feet about one meter away from Vígamaður but he's shaking his head as if trying to get rid of something.

"Járn?!" Blíður is next to him at once and grabs his arm "What's…"

But the other already pushes him away hard enough so they both end up on the ground and dodge the next attack. But Blíður doesn't need an answer anyway. Jumping back to his feed he growls "You coward! These daggers are forbidden in our country!"

"No rules!" reminds Vígamaður with a grin and approaches Blíður again "You should rethink your choice of sides, Doc. It would be a shame to kill a good doctor like you. Remember, you're no trained fighter. And you saw what I did with the elf who used to beat me when we were children."

"You're insane! And I'd rather die than cooperate with you, you traitor!"

"Too bad…"

 

"What do you see?"

"Járn's…down…"

"What?! We have to…"

"Robbie," Sportacus closes the door again, grabs the felf's shoulders and looks him into the eyes "Vígamaður has eitur-daggers!"

"He got what now?"

"Forbidden knives you can only get at the black-market in human towns close by. They've been used in ancient rebellions in the elvish world before we swore off of any weapons. They have similar effects on us like sugar when they touch our blood…only worse… We need a plan!"

"We don't have _time_!" Robbie takes a deep breath in "Listen. I'm not like you. These things probably won't work on me. You stay, I handle this."

"That's no plan, that's suicide! You do remember it's _you_ he's after, right?!" Sportacus takes his boyfriend's hands and searches his eyes again "Robbie, _think_! Where is the man who had so many plans to get rid of me, hm?"

"None of these plans ever worked! And these weren't serious situations! You know that!" Robbie grows desperate but just like Sportacus he keeps his voice down the whole time.

"Robbie…" the hero softly cups his boyfriend's cheek now and caresses it soothingly with his thumb "Calm down, Love. You are smart and clever. Together we can do this, but we mustn't rush things. Blíður is holding up surprisingly well as it seems."

"You're not so dumb either, Sport," states the felf with a weak smile and hugs him with closed eyes.

They stay like this for about five seconds.

Then Robbie opens his eyes again and whispers "Do you remember our battle when I dressed up as Rottenbeard the pirate?"

"Sure. The kids had a lot of fun back then. And me too."

"The kids told you how to fight to defeat me…" Robbie reluctantly breaks the hug to look at his companion now "These daggers aren't as long as a sword. You have to keep Vígamaður on distance like this so he won't hurt you. Do you think you can manage?"

"Yeah, but I got no sword… And I doubt that a balloon-sword will be sufficient this time…"

"You fought with tennis rackets, Sport," reminds Robbie with a smile "But I agree, that won't be enough now. Stay here. I'll be right back!" with this he turns around and quickly but silently hurries back into the cellar.

"Robbie!? Is everything all right?! Where…"

"Sorry, no time for this, Mum!" the felf hurries to one of the shelves and searches for some metallic things he's seen there before when they fled here.

"Honey, what are you doing?"

"Building a weapon. I hope. Everybody take a step back, please," Robbie takes a deep breath in and focuses, thinking to himself 'Okay… You've done this countless times already. Just ignore the fact that this is _serious_ now…'

Then he closes his eyes, breathes out and does what he always does: creating.

But this time he doesn't let his magic stream through the machine in his layer but works manually…

It's far more exhausting like this…

When he opens his eyes again he's holding a sword-like item in his hands and sighs with a relieved smile.

"Robbie… That was… Wow!" whispers his foster father with huge eyes.

Robbie just smiles wryly and turns to head back "You stay here. We'll take care of this."

"Be careful, Dear!" calls Bessie after him.

The felf's smile grows softer at hearing this although he doesn't look back. Bessie never held a grudge against him for too long, no matter how much mischief he planned…

"Robbie, we should hurry up… Wow! Where did you…"

"Made it out of metallic trash."

"Did I mention how much I adore and admire you, Robbie?" Sportacus smiles brightly and plants a quick kiss on his cheek.

"Sporadically, yeah," Robbie blushes dark red then clears his throat "Okay. Listen, here's my…plan…"

 

"You might…beat us…but you won't get Robbie! He'll…survive and live! For all the felves that ever got killed or suppressed by our folk!" pants Blíður exhausted and tries to roll away on the ground again.

But this time Vígamaður is faster and the next second he's pressing his foot into the doctor's chest. He sneers "He'll be the next one to be crushed by my force," with this he raises the daggers and brings them down on Blíður…

_Clang!_

"What…"

"Not on my watch!"

"Sportacus!" calls Blíður weakly, unsure whether to be relieved that the young hero caught Vígamaður's blades with a slightly strange looking sword, or to be angry that he came out from their safe shelter and didn't try to flee instead of interfering in his already lost battle.

"Well, well, well… If that isn't the little milksop! Only the bastard son missing now, then we got the whole company together!" mocks Vígamaður and pulls his daggers back, retreating a little but only to grin at the hero and start to circle him slowly "You know that you don't stand a chance, right? Where is your little friend hiding, hm?"

Sportacus quickly helps Blíður up with his free hand and orders "Get Járn out of here! I'll take care of this guy…"

His opponent snickers "Oh, I'm terrified!"

"But Sportacus…"

"Now!"

"…Be careful…" Blíður gives him a worried look then struggles to drag the unconscious Járn away from the battlefield and into the next room.

"You know… The battle with Járn has been over before it really started. His feelings for this felf have made him so _weak_! It's ridiculous!" Vígamaður chuckles and tilts his head "And you actually managed to fall for him, hm?! You do realize that mating with a felf could've been the last thing you do, right?! He probably already infected you with whatever he has!"

'You have to promise me that you won't let him get in your head! No matter what he says! I think that has been my father's mistake already… Don't listen to him! Focus on surviving this. For me.'

These words that Robbie said to him before they started their plan are louder than Vígamaður's insults and help Sportacus to follow his boyfriend's advice now.

He blocks the other's attacks surprisingly easy but retreats further and further towards the kitchen door.

When his back hits the wood he frowns and then quickly blocks the next attack and holds with his sword against the daggers.

"Nowhere to go, Sportalooser!" snares Vígamaður and grins devilishly.

Sportacus' frown suddenly turns into a smirk now as well and he says lowly "Same goes for you."

Then the door in his back gets opened and he jumps back and like this into the kitchen in perfect timing.

Vígamaður is too surprised to remove the weight in time he put on the daggers to force Sportacus to break down, and therefore now tumbles into the kitchen as well.

As soon as he's over the door step he falls over a leg that definitely doesn't belong to the young hero and the next moment Vígamaður sees a huge cake approaching his face and he's too slow to close his in surprise opened mouth again.

Sweetness that doesn't come from fruits invades his senses.

Then he blacks out.


	162. Victory?!

"It… It actually…worked…" whispers Robbie unbelieving and stares down on the sugar-meltdown suffering elf.

" ** _Yes!_** " Sportacus drops the sword and hugs his boyfriend tightly "You did it!"

" _We_ did it!" corrects Robbie under happy tears and returns the embrace tightly "I can't believe it…"

"Me neither, but… Your father!" Sportacus breaks the hug and takes Robbie's hand, pulling him into the room where Blíður brought Járn. The bedroom of Robbie's adoptive parents.

"Blíður!" Sportacus hurries to the doctor who's standing next to the bed with Járn, dragging the felf along. The older elf still seems to be unresponsive…

"…Dad?…" all color leaves Robbie's face and his voice breaks "I-Is he…"

"He's alive!" assures Blíður quickly and offers the felf a soothing smile, but it's short before his gaze turns serious again "But he needs an antidote as soon as possible."

"What antidote?" asks Sportacus concerned while watching how Robbie carefully sits down at the edge of the bed, takes Járn's hand and fixes his eyes at the bandaged but still lightly bleeding and already inflamed looking wound on his shoulder.

Blíður opens his mouth but the answer on the hero's question comes from the door "This one."

The three turn around surprised and watch Vitur come over with a flask in his hand and a new syringe.

Both he hands Blíður "Do your work, Doctor."

Blíður does as told, not asking any questions.

Neither does Robbie since he's still too shaken to.

But Sportacus looks at the Elder "Are the kids in safety?"

"Yes. Reluctantly so, but yes. I…"

" ** _Sportacus!!! Robbie!!!_** "

Now even Robbie can't help a light smile "You were saying, Vitur?"

The next second he and Sportacus get hugged by the LazyTown children.

"But…" the Elder blinks puzzled "…I told them to stay in…"

"Oh, don't worry, they never listen," chuckles Sportacus and gives Robbie a knowing look, then he asks confused "But how did you know that we needed that antidote? The kids didn't know that Vígamaður had these daggers."

"No, but shortly after his escape somebody broke into our museum of history and stole these ancient daggers. And after the kids told me that we'd find Vígamaður here and that Járn and Blíður tried to fight him I thought we should better come prepared. But I admit that I was a little surprised to see that you've already…arrested him. Strange but effective method, by the way. My men are taking him back to prison again already and be assured that he won't get out of there again this time!"

"Thank you…" whispers Robbie lowly and then everybody holds their breath when he suddenly hugs the Elder "For everything!"

Vitur is just as perplexed as the others at first but then he gently hugs the felf back "It's the least I could do after bringing so much harm to you before, Young One."

"…Where's…Robbie?…"

Now everybody focuses on Járn who looks around in obvious distress, searching for his son while trying to sit up.

"Hey, hey, hey. Easy, Járn. Take it slow!" warns Blíður and gently holds him down on the bed. "I'm here!" Robbie is next to him in a second, surprising his friends once again with his speed and open emotion when he now takes his father's hand again, squeezes it and assures under happy tears "I'm here! Everything is all right again! We're safe! All of us!…"

 

"He's…different…" states the mayor carefully while walking next to Miss Busybody.

"Hmhm," is her only response.

"…Don't you agree?"

"He's happier," Bessie looks at him now and smiles lightly "I think visiting his parents helped him overcome his confusion and insecurity about his own feelings. He now knows that he isn't hated or feared or whatever anymore but accepted, respected and loved by many people. And beating this Vígamaður together with Sportacus surely helped this change as well."

"Oh my, yes. That was so exciting!"

"When they finally informed us that we could return upstairs again everything was already over, Milford!" laughs Bessie lowly.

"You are right of course. But still…"

"Uncle!"

"Yes, Stephanie?" he looks at the girl who just appeared next to them.

"Robbie said that he and Sportacus will gladly 'babysit' us when we get home and Bessie and you go on dates more often. I don't think we need babysitters anymore but we could have a slumber party!"

"Stephanie…" the mayor blushes lightly "How did Robbie get the idea…"

"Thank him from me, Dear!" interrupts Bessie him quickly with a smile and winks at the girl "We'll surely accept this offer sometime!"

Stephanie giggles and nods then she hurries back to catch up with the other kids, the three elves and the inventor.

"We…will?" Milford looks at the woman walking next to him and blushes even more.

"We will," she smiles and plants a quick kiss on his cheek.

"Oh my…" whispers the mayor and then starts to smile from one ear to the other when she now even grabs and holds his hand.

They both ignore the low giggling coming from the group walking further ahead.

Sportacus is holding Robbie's hand as well and neither of them has any intentions to let go anytime soon. Járn is still leaning on Blíður while walking but he's in a splendid mood just like the others. And incredible proud of both, his son and Sportacus that they beat Vígamaður as a team. Or rather as a couple. When they left Robbie's foster parents they gave the promise that they'd visit each other several times a year in the future.

"Oh, Robbie, I was wondering where you got the cake from to defeat Vígamaður?" asks Pixel suddenly "Your…uhm…foster parents didn't have any cake at the house. I asked them."

The felf starts to smile lightly. Then he raises his free hand, flicks his wrist and then turns his hand and on his palm appears a chocolate muffin which he hands the boy with a wink "Well… I've always had a thing for sweets as you know… As I understood recently most things I invented were powered by my magic and the gadgets mostly served to focus it and make it easier for me. But now I know that I can craft some things without help if I focus enough. And cake is surprisingly easy."

"And it tastes great!" adds Pixel after taking the first bite of the muffin.

"Hey, I want one too, please!" cries Ziggy.

"Yeah, can you make more?" wonders Stingy excitedly.

"Stingy," scolds Sportacus softly. Robbie chuckles "Aw, come on, Sport! Don't you think they deserve some celebration after this excitement?"

The hero blinks "Of course! And that's not about the sweets, Love. I just don't want that you tire yourself out even more like this."

"That's so sweet of you, Sportacutie," Robbie smiles and bows down to plant a short kiss on his lips then he assures "But I'm okay. And crafting muffins isn't that exhausting… Come on, kids. Gather around. But don't let our elvish friends get in contact with any sweets. Remember, one sugar meltdown a day is more than enough even if it was our enemy."

The LazyTown children cheer and then nod serious and understanding.

Sportacus watches with a loving expression how his boyfriend serves a muffin to each kid.

Then the felf carefully cleans his hands with a small wet tissue he probably conjured as well before taking his hero's hand again.

"You are so, so wonderful, Robbie…" whispers Sportacus now and gently nuzzles his nose against his cheek after getting on his tiptoes to do so.

"Why?" asks the felf lowly but with a light smile on his lips.

"Because you care so much and are so thoughtful already, Love…"

Robbie blushes but then squeezes his partner's hand lovingly and explains "I couldn't stand to accidentally put you in a sugar coma because I touch you after touching something sweet…"

"And I couldn't stand you growing weak and sick again because of anything. Especially not because you refrain from eating sweets because of me although we know now that you need them just as much as I need fruits."

"Yeah…" Robbie bites his bottom lip and starts stroking Sportacus' hand with his thumb "Do you think…we can…manage to find…a balance?"

"Of course," the elf kisses the inventor's cheek "We've been through so much during the past weeks. We even beat Vígamaður! Finding this balance is gonna be…a piece of cake!" he winks and grins. Robbie smiles and moves closer to him so their sides are touching then he looks him deep into the eyes "I love you, Sportacus."

"I love you too, Robbie."


	163. Night?!

Robbie sighs softly.

Again.

He's staring at the ceiling although it's too dark to see anything.

He tries to focus on the wonderful, soothing feeling of the warm body next to him in the comfortable double bed.

But it's somehow not enough this time…

Why does his insomnia have to return just now?!

Just when everything else was just beginning to be perfect for once!?

Maybe he should…

"…Robbie?…" murmurs a very sleepy elf next to him suddenly lowly. The felf feels bad at once and whispers hastily "No. I mean…yes… I… I'm sorry, Sportacus… Sleep on, please!"

Sportacus yawns lightly and rubs his eyes, then he turns on his side and wraps an arm around Robbie, mumbling "What time is it?"

"S-Something around midnight, I guess…" stammers Robbie and turns a dark shade of red at his action although he doesn't really understand why after all they've been…much closer again already just a few hours ago… But maybe it's because this action is even softer and more intimate in a way and…completely without any deeper context except of loving domesticity…

"I'm sorry I woke you…" the felf's voice is small and guilty.

"Hey."

A warm, soft hand moves to cup the inventor's cheek. Robbie swallows.

"Did you have a bad dream?" Sportacus sounds worried.

"No," assures the other quickly and then sighs again "I just…can't sleep… _again_ … I don't know why… I'm feeling perfectly well. I just…" he breaks up with another sigh "I shouldn't bother you with this…"

"On the contrary," Sportacus' contradiction is firm but gentle "I'm your boyfriend, Robbie. You _must_ bother me if there's anything wrong with you and also when your insomnia returns for what reason ever. Now…come here…" he gently pulls the felf closer until his partner's face is nuzzled against is own bare chest. His hands start to stroke and draw soothing circles on Robbie's back and scalp.

"Would you like to talk about anything?"

Robbie barely noticeable shakes his head no.

Then he suddenly hears himself whisper "I want to go home…"

"Me too…" admits the hero in a quiet voice and plants a kiss on Robbie's hair "I miss the playground…"

The inventor chuckles lowly "Why doesn't this surprise me?" then he swallows and adds "And I miss…your flippedy-floppedy… You don't…do it around here…"

"Yeah, I… It's…considered childish actually…even here…" the hero blushes "You…really miss it?"

"Of course. It's what makes you _you_ ," Robbie smiles and kisses his boyfriend's chest "I like you childish. I am too."

A pause during which they both gently caress and kiss each other.

"I'm fit enough to travel…" Robbie slowly sits up now and looks at his boyfriend in the dark "What about you?"

"I'm fine. As long as you are," he reaches out to cup the felf's cheek again.

Robbie wonders whether he can sense just like him where the other is or if he just knows him well enough to know exactly in what position he's sitting and therefore aims so precisely. But it doesn't really matter anyway.

"Tomorrow we'll talk to the others and the Elder," promises Sportacus now with an audible smile "Vitur said he'll arrange the thing with my crystal so it's gonna work completely normal again although it's…bigger now. And I'll even get my airship back! We'll be home soon, I promise."

"Hmhm…" Robbie smiles and then quickly cuddles up to his hero again, pulling the cover over both of them and nuzzling his nose against Sportacus' "And when we are home…are we…you know…"

"What?" Sportacus lightly runs a hand through his partner's hair and nudges his nose against Robbie's again, almost playfully. The felf frowns as well playfully and hits him gently on the shoulder "You _know_! …Are we going to…move in together?…" his voice has grown lower and weaker during the question. Sportacus doesn't have to see his eyes to know that they reflect fear once again. So he turns onto his back now and gently pulls the surprised inventor on top of him before wrapping his arms around him "Would you like that, Love?"

A warm feeling rushes through Robbie's body but at the same time he starts to tremble lightly "W-Would you?"

"I asked you first," reminds Sportacus in a warm voice while softly stroking over his boyfriend's body. Robbie closes his eyes despite the darkness and starts to tremble worse when he stammers "Y-Yes… I… I'd…love to…"

"I'd love to, too," replies the hero incredible softly and he starts to gently pull Robbie down for a kiss even before he senses the tears falling down from the felf's face onto his own.

Robbie cries during the entire kiss.

Happy tears.

And afterwards Sportacus kisses them away carefully.

"So…" Sportacus' soft grin is audible "Do you think you can sleep now or…"

Robbie blushes heavily and he buries his face into the hero's strong chest again, mumbling cutely shy "…Maybe you can…help me relax a little more?…"

"Gladly," whispers the elf and pulls him into another, deeper kiss…


	164. Home!

Robbie yawns and stretches.

Then he turns onto his side and wraps his arm around the body next to him.

With still closed eyes he murmurs "Is my laziness infecting you, Sport? That's the third morning in a row you sleep as long as me… Usually you make breakfast first and then return to bed, but I don't smell anything… You're not sick, are you, Love!?" His voice has grown worried in the end.

"No, Sweetie," Sportacus kisses his cheek "I'm perfectly fine. I just enjoy when you do that…"

"Do what?"

"Hold on to me like this after waking up."

The felf blushes but hums softly, approvingly and nuzzles even closer to his boyfriend when the other now returns the hold.

He still can't believe how perfect everything is.

They've returned home eight days ago and Robbie moved in to Sportacus' airship the very same day. Vitur surprised them before when he secretly ordered to make certain improvements on it and the couple then saw the huge double bed and other extras that made living for two people much more comfortable and even easier considering that this special couple is quite different in their needs… Robbie's layer is more of a new playground for the kids and his workshop now. And he rarely feels uncomfortable anymore when looking out of the ship's window and seeing how tiny everything is. Especially not when he's in Sportacus' arms during this…

The felf smiles at how sappy all this sounds.

But it's a soft, genuine smile.

He's come to the conclusion that after everything they've been through he and the elf deserve some happy sappiness.

"Sportacus?"

"Yes, Robert?"

Robbie blushes even more and giggles cutely. The hero has developed the habit to call Robbie 'Robert' each time the felf calls him by his real name before. For some reason Robbie loves this.

"Bessie asked me whether we could take care of the kids tonight. She and Milford want to go out."

"Really?" the hero smiles and starts playing with his partner's hair "That was faster than expected. Good."

"Yap. And I was wondering whether we could go into the layer and have a movie's night? They don't have to go to school tomorrow, it's the weekend…" he starts chewing his bottom lip "But I don't know… If you don't…"

"I think that's a great idea, Robbie," assures the elf with a soft smile and kisses his forehead "I'm so glad you want to play with and take care of them so much! And also…that you help me to keep a healthy balance between constant moving and doing something, and laziness and relaxation."

"I…do?" the felf blinks unbelieving.

"Yes! You know… I am a sports-elf that's right but…you may have already noticed that even for my kind I'm…quite hyperactive sometimes… That's not good. Neither for my environment nor for me on long sight… The kids always had a good counter point to playing and moving when they played video or computer games or watched a film. But you know how hard it was for me to take a day off when Stephanie asked me to do so… Although I knew…that even my battery would die if I kept using it like this for many years longer… But since I started to take care of you…and now that you are my boyfriend…I feel good and complete even when I don't jump around all the time and do something. So you are…my savior in so many ways…"

"And I see a sense in moving and playing now thanks to you. And you know that you are mine just as well. My hero…" he moves his head to kiss him deeply. Sportacus returns the kiss and continues to caress his boyfriend so incredible softly and lovingly that Robbie starts to shiver pleasantly again.

The hero has been a little worried when he reacted like this the first time, but soon he learned that this was the response of Robbie's body on affection simply because he hasn't known this for almost his whole life. It's almost like an overstimulation of his nerves, but a good one Robbie assured him. And since then Sportacus has the target to touch and caress and love the other so much and so often until his body has grown used to it and doesn't react that intense anymore. Not because he doesn't like this reaction of his boyfriend. On the contrary. He thinks it's incredible cute. And a part of him believes that Robbie will never not tremble when he touches him. But he's still holding on to this target even if it's just to have an excuse to caress his boyfriend and be this soft and gentle with him…

"What are you thinking about?" asks Robbie softly once they part again to catch some air and he sees Sportacus' thoughtful expression. The hero smiles "You. And how wonderful you are…"

"Oh, stop it, you!" Robbie blushes a dark shade of red and lightly hits his partner on the chest, but he smiles "You shouldn't spoil me like that. Or I might get used to it…"

"I do hope so! 'Cause I'm not planning to stop. Ever."

The felf's expression grows dreamy and he whispers "Ever…" then he suddenly starts to smile brightly and jumps out of bed quicker than one would've thought possible, beaming "Today, I'm gonna prepare breakfast! You stay in bed and continue to do…what you were doing," he grins and winks "Never disturb a person thinking important thoughts, right?!"

Sportacus chuckles softly but doesn't contradict. Instead he follows Robbie with the eyes when the other now walks around in the airship and prepares a well balanced breakfast for both of them, paying high, but already routinely attention to add something sugary sweet for himself but only fruits and healthy things for Sportacus. Meanwhile the hero closes his eyes again and relaxes. Something that would've been completely impossible for him not even two months ago…

It's an ordinary morning for the couple now.

And both love it.

 

Later this morning while Sportacus is doing his exercises, Robbie is taking lessons from his father. He's a quick learner and Járn is incredible proud of him. He also gladly accepts Robbie's invitation to the movie night.

 

After lunch they then meet with the children to play.

"Hey, what are you building there?" Robbie takes a few wooden planks himself and helps the kids carry them to the great meeting place in the middle of the town. Sportacus is already busy 'saving' Ziggy from hitting himself with a hammer on his fingers. Stephanie grins "I'm not sure whether I can get used to you _helping_ us instead of manipulating our work, Robbie. And…we're building a church."

"A church?!"

"Well, more an altar than a church."

"An altar?!"

"Yeah. You could say…the inside of a church. The _heart_ of a church…"

"Steph, I _know_ what an altar is," interrupts Robbie quickly while placing the planks on the pile close to where Ziggy is working "But _why_ are you building one?"

"Oh, because we wanna play wedding of course, Silly!" she laughs and then cheerfully jumps back to where they came from to get more planks. The felf blinks slowly "Oh, do you…" then he quickly follows her again to help her, a grin on his face "And who's getting married? You and Pixel?"

"What? No," the pink girl shakes her head and laughs "Why would we?!"

"Oh, just a thought…" Robbie smiles lightly to himself before insisting "Then who'll be your dream couple?"

"Uhm…" Stephanie stops in her walk and tilts her head. Now it's Robbie who can't help a laugh "You wanna play wedding and don't even have somebody who's getting married?! Maybe I should've just let you do in the past without trying to spoil your games then they might've ended sooner than when I interrupted!"

"Hey, stop it!" the girl nudges him gently but grins as well, then she shrugs "Admittedly we didn't think of that yet… But we'll find some volunteers!"

"How about your uncle and Bessie?"

"Nope. My uncle has to play the pastor, since he's the only one allowed to wed someone because he's the mayor."

"Oh…" Robbie wonders why she thought about that but not about a couple that shall marry. "And Bessie insists to be the flower girl."

"Aha. Well, that's no real surprise…" Robbie chuckles again "Okay then. Maybe…"

"You!"

"What is with me?"

"You and Sportacus! You can be our dream couple!" beams Stephanie, nods as if it's already set and moves on.

"We…" the felf turns dark red and needs a moment to catch himself before he quickly follows her "Steph… That… I don't know if… We shouldn't…"

"But it's perfect! You said that we need a dream couple that could marry. And you two _are_ our dream couple! So! Perfect!" she flashes him a disarming smile and puts her plank on the pile. Robbie does the same with his three planks and then just looks at the pink girl, not knowing what to say.

"Robbie? Everything okay, Love?" Sportacus jumps over the pile and takes his boyfriend's hand. Robbie blinks slowly at him "Yeah…" Then he tries to pull himself together by telling himself that it's just a game after all.

"Are you sure?" the hero gives him a worried look "You shouldn't exhaust yourself like this yet. You've just trained with your father and these planks are heavy. Besides…"

"Sport," interrupts Robbie now with a light smile "I'm perfectly fine. Really."

And behind Sportacus' back Stephanie shows the inventor a thumb up and nods encouraging. The felf smiles wryly and sighs "The kids need us for their game that's all…"

"Cool!"

"You…don't know what they wanna play, do you?"

"No. But I bet you'll love it!"

Robbie blushes even worse and stammers "O-Oh… H… How do you…get that i-idea?…"

"Well… Ziggy said there'll be a huge cake at the end," Sportacus tilts his head now genuinely worried "Robbie, are you _sure_ you're okay?" he worriedly reaches up to feel his taller boyfriend's forehead.

"C-Cake…" the other blinks slowly and finally understands "Cake! Oh, of course! Yeah… Sure! I mean… Cake. That's…good…"

"Robbie…"

"No, no! Really, Sport, I'm okay! I just thought… A little…misunderstanding here… That's all!" assures the felf, takes his boyfriend's hand and squeezes it lovingly.

But he can't help the strange feeling in his guts.

What's this?

Disappointment?

No way!

How could he be disappointed!?

What was he thinking…expecting?!…

His eyes drift off to the distance and he isn't aware of his next sigh.

Sportacus is still staring at him with obvious concern.

Why is his boyfriend suddenly acting so strange?

So… So absent…

And so…sad!?

The hero looks around and at the kids, realizing just now that all of them are watching them with high interest and broad smirks. He still doesn't understand what's going on but something tells him that they know more than he does…

"Oh, Robbie, do you have more dresses than just the one of the strange nanny?" Trixie's voice cuts through the air like a knife. Robbie turns an even darker shade of red and Sportacus is the one blinking slowly now "A…dress? What…does he need a dress for?"

"For our game of course!" Stephanie grins "Didn't Ziggy tell you? We're building an altar for playing wedding!"

"And Stephanie said that you and Robbie will be our dream couple," adds Stingy like this explains everything. Robbie tries his best not to use his powers and make himself disappear somehow.

But Sportacus slowly understands.

And he starts to smile.

The hero's next soft but almost casual words let the felf's head jerk up "But Robbie doesn't have to wear a dress for the wedding. He can wear a suit as well. We can both wear suits."

"You're right. But you're not allowed to see him in it before the wedding!" insist Stephanie now with a grin. Robbie blushes in a shade of pink now and holds on firmer to his partner's hand. Sportacus smiles more and looks at the kids "If you say so. But first we need to finish the altar, right?"

The kids nod and then the seven friends set to work.

Sportacus notices Robbie's absent gaze during this but he doesn't say anything…


	165. Yes!

'I'm gonna faint! I'm gonna faint right in front of everybody and then they'll wanna know why! And what do I tell them? The truth: I don't know why, myself…'

"Robbie! You look awesome!"

The felf winces so bad he almost falls over the guardrail next to him but he quickly holds on to it. "I'm sorry!" Stephanie is next to him so fast Robbie winces again and she gives him a confused look "What's wrong?"

"Nothing…" the felf straightens up again and clears his throat while letting the telescope snap back up and disappear again.

"You are pale," states the girl firmly.

"I'm not."

"Oh yeah, you _are_."

"Fine!" sighs the inventor and leans on the railing again "To be honest…I'm not feeling so well… I'm not sure…"

"You're just nervous! That's normal!" the pink girl gives him a warm hearted smile and gently strokes his arm "You'll feel better once you're with Sportacus again."

'I'm not so sure whether this won't make it worse this time…' thinks Robbie and swallows hard then he looks at his friend "I'm feeling even much, much worse than when I was at Ziggy's birthday party…"

"You're afraid of messing up. But don't worry about that. Nothing can go wrong. All you have to do is walk to the altar and then say 'I do.' when it's time," she smiles and then adds with a slight grin "And remember, it's only a game."

"I…think I need to sit down…" Robbie actually feels as if his stomach is turning.

Why does the thought of this being a game make him feel worse instead of better?

He doesn't notice Stephanie's almost soft smile when she now takes his hand and gently pulls him along "Come on. Take a look at yourself in the mirror."

The felf just follows her on wobbly legs and soon sees himself wearing a dark purple suit that, Stephanie definitely is right, looks absolutely amazing on him. A very faint smile washes over his lips.

"See? It's like you're made to play this role!" whispers the girl now encouragingly.

"Huh…" Robbie looks at her "What would I do without you, hm?"

"Not playing wedding."

"That's true!" the felf laughs lowly then he takes her hand this time and guides her over to his big orange chair "Take a seat. It's your turn now."

"My turn?" she looks confused how her friend just smiles lightly, goes over to a big chest, rummages through it and then takes a small piece of clothes out. He winks at her and then suddenly spins around in his quick way.

Stephanie watches with huge eyes and open mouth.

When he stops he holds up a wonderful dress in a softer pink tone than her usual dresses but the shape is even more eye-catching than the color: a true dress for a maid of honor.

"Is that… Is that for me?" she stands up and walks over to him slowly.

"I don't know anyone else with a pink style," he smiles and hands it to her "Do you like it?"

"Whether I like it?! Robbie! That's beautiful! Thank you, thank you, thank you!" she hugs him firmly and mutters "This will be the most wonderful wedding ever!"

Robbie smiles although he can't wonder a little about her choice of words…

 

"I've never seen you in a suit before, I guess…" Ziggy tilts his head.

"Yeah… I didn't even have one…until Bessie dragged me to the fashion shop three days ago…" Sportacus smiles shyly but then adds with slightly proud voice "But you look very neat as well, Ziggy."

"Yeah… Bessie dragged us to the shop as well yesterday…" the boy sighs but then smiles again "Dark blue is looking good on you."

"Thank you. Ziggy…"

"Yes?"

"…Nothing…" the hero looks back at the mirror and like this at himself.

He wanted to ask the boy why the whole town makes such a huge fuss about this game.

As if it was more than just a game…

But then he was too…scared to actually ask his friend.

It's ridiculous anyway, right?!

"Is everything okay?" Ziggy gently nudges his arm.

"Yes," the hero smiles and takes a deep breath in "I'm just…nervous… This is…no sports game after all…" he smiles wryly.

"Aw, I'm sure you'll do great as always! Both of you!"

"Thank you, Ziggy," Sportacus tenderly strokes with his hands over his suit to smooth it out, then he takes a look at the clock and feels some of the color leaving his face "Oh… Okay… I think…it's time… We should head for the altar now…"

 

"I can't do this, Steph…" Robbie sways while attempting to turn around and flee the scene. "Careful!" the girl quickly grabs his arm and supports him "Robbie. You can't quit now. Sportacus is waiting for you already."

"And I'm gonna faint if I take one step further towards the altar," whimpers the felf lowly and staggers again "I'm sorry! I can't do this…"

"Robbie. You faced this Vígamaður and beat him. You saved Sportacus. And you were ready to sacrifice yourself for us. I'm completely _sure_ that you'll do perfectly fine in a few minutes."

"That was something else! Stephanie, I'm feeling as if my heart is gonna jump out of my chest and run away even faster than me! I feel sick and shaky… I…may got the flu or something… Maybe we should at least…delay this?!"

The pink girl sighs "Robbie Rotten. One question: Do you love Sportacus?"

"What? Of course! I mean… Yeah… I… I do…" Robbie blushes heavily what is an improvement to his former paleness.

"See? And he loves you as well. Just think of this until all this is over. You'll see, you won't even notice what's going on then. Pinkie swear!"

"And what if I'm gonna faint though?"

"Then Sportacus will be there to catch you."

This does it.

Robbie can't believe it but this simple fact calms him within two seconds and he starts to smile softly "Yeah… He will, won't he?… Okay… Okay!" he breathes through again and takes Stephanie's hand "Let's do this!"

 

'I've never seen anybody put _that_ much effort into a game before I think… Even less when they aren't even the main actors of it!' thinks Sportacus while trying his best not to wiggle too much while waiting in front of the altar.

But his thoughts get drawn to the carpet leading towards him the moment Pixel lets the wedding music play.

And he freezes.

Stephanie, in a new dress that definitely wears the felf's creation signature, is guiding an incredible handsome looking Robbie into his direction while Bessie busily decorates the path in front of them with flowers. The felf is visibly struggling to hide his nervousness but that makes it only cuter and more precious for the whole group, including the hero.

Sportacus gulps. Suddenly he worries whether he looks fine enough for this occasion.

Of course it's just a game!

…But still…

Robbie definitely looks as if this is the real thing…

The elf risks a quick glance down on himself, checking whether his own outfit is smooth and well adjusted.

Robbie and his maid of honor move slowly, gracefully.

With each step the felf's legs grow heavier and wobblier and his heartbeat and breathing pick up.

In this moment he regrets not taking the opportunity to hide his face behind a bridal veil because he fears that he looks like he's actually going to be sick every second now.

Stephanie must've sensed this because she now gently strokes over his arm they're linked with already and whispers "Sportacus appears to be just as nervous as you. But remember no matter what, he'll catch you…"

Robbie nods feebly and takes a deep breath in.

The final few meters and up the small stairs.

Then Stephanie releases his arm so he can step right next to his beloved hero…and Robbie trips.

He doesn't know why.

Whether it's been an irregularity in the final step or just his weak legs…

But he's there.

Just like Stephanie said he would be.

Sportacus' strong but gentle hands have grabbed one of his own and his shoulder and keep him upright.

"Robbie…" Sportacus looks at him, mildly shocked and worried but mostly just as nervous as the felf himself.

"I-I'm…sorry! That… That wasn't…intentionally…" stammers the inventor and blushes and pales by turns.

"I know," the elf smiles softly and gently pulls him closer to himself, taking his other hand as well now and locking eyes with him, then he repeats in another meaning "I know."

Robbie swallows and forces himself to exhale slowly.

Then he nods.

Another second of mute staring passes then they slowly let go of each other and turn to the mayor who's dressed up in his best suit as well.

After a small nod of the hero Milford starts the ceremony speech.

Robbie finds that the girl was right with that as well. He reflexively doesn't really follow the ceremony but focuses on the memory of the look Sportacus gave him seconds ago when he caught him. One of pure love and admiration. And during this it very slowly dawns on him why all this is so hard for him to pull through…

And Sportacus?

He had this realization already the moment the felf climbed up the few stairs to him and then practically fell right into his arms.

And just like Robbie he isn't really paying attention to anything the mayor says.

At least until Milford asks the first formal question "Sportacus, hero of LazyTown, do you take Robert Theodore Rottano Járnson as your rightful groom for better or worse?"

Robbie winces lightly at hearing his full real name for the first time in years again together with the cultural addition and shortly glances at his father standing close to Sportacus with the proudest smile one can imagine. But then the felf's full attention is on Sportacus again who's looking at him now with soft, deeply loving eyes and answers lowly but firmly "I do."

Robbie tries so hard not to, but he feels that he's already starting to cry.

"And you, Robert Theodore Rottano Járnson, do you take Sportacus as your rightful groom?"

The felf's mind goes blank and his mouth dry but he hears himself reply like in trance "Y-Yes… Yes, I do."

And then he can barely believe his own eyes when he sees Sportacus is starting to cry now as well.

"Wonderful!" Milford interrupts their staring at each other with a happy clapping of his hands and says "Now if you'd be so kind and exchange rings."

Robbie blinks slowly.

Rings?

What rings?

Sportacus seems just as clueless.

But then Járn and Stephanie step up and Robbie's father hands Sportacus a ring that has a small basketball on top instead of a diamond.

Both men smile at seeing this and Sportacus gently takes Robbie's hand to slide the ring onto his trembling finger.

The felf looks at it for a moment then he takes the ring for Sportacus from Stephanie and his smile softens when he sees that the decoration for this one is a tiny purple cake figure. Carefully he puts the ring on his partner's finger and then reflexively, tightly grabs his hand.

"Very good! Now you might…"

But Robbie is faster than the mayor's words.

He doesn't think.

He just leans in and kisses the hero deeply with closed eyes.

Sportacus returns it reflexively and all of their friends begin to cheer.

After a whole minute the felf pulls back again and blushes a dark shade of red but he smiles. The hero smiles as well and then squeezes Robbie's hand, turns around to look at all of their friends and then guides his husband through the path they made for the couple.

Towards the cake and a huge party…and a bright future.


	166. Husbands!

"Sportacus…"

"Yes, Love?" the hero comes over to their bed with a plate in his hand. There are little sweets and Sportscandy on it.

Robbie is lying on his back and staring at the ring on his finger.

Caressing it.

Admiring it.

His voice is absent "They tricked us, didn't they?"

"Into what?" Sportacus drops down next to him as well on his back and offers his partner a wrapped up bonbon. Robbie gives him a short grin "You know what I mean," he grabs a fresh strawberry instead and wiggles with his ring finger right in front of his partner's nose. Sportacus looks surprised when the felf now puts the small fruit into his mouth and frowns the next second, shaking his head as if trying to get rid of the taste again. The hero laughs softly and kisses his ring finger then before replying "I don't know… Did they?"

"We're married now, Sportahusband," Robbie blushes softly, happily again, takes another strawberry and feeds his beloved hero with it. Sportacus blushes as well, eats and then nods "Yeah, I think we are… That was an official cake you ate after all."

"And your official entire-apple-pyramid," Robbie chuckles "The kids really thought of everything. No wonder all this preparation took a whole week! But still. They tricked us…"

"I ask you again: did they?" the hero smiles and now carefully feeds Robbie a piece of chocolate.

Now the inventor understands and smiles more while sucking on the sweet.

After swallowing he sighs "You're right. They only helped us to do something we've both been too afraid to do although we obviously wanted it…"

Sportacus nods and leans in to kiss his husband.

But Robbie quickly turns his head away and reminds in alarm "I just ate candy, Sport!"

"I know," the hero blushes a little more and gently turns his partner's head back, looking him deep into the eyes "But those little amounts left on your lips or tongue only make me…tipsy… And…now that we're married we're at our honeymoon, right?" he leans in closer again and very softly and slowly kisses Robbie who's staring at him out of wide eyes now.

Sportacus feels his own body react on the minimalistic traces of sugar at once.

Adrenaline rushes through him and his muscles start to shake for a moment.

Then he pulls back and panting rolls onto his back.

"Sport?!" Robbie quickly sits up and worriedly bows over him "Sportacus, are you okay?!?"

"Wow…" whispers the hero, opens his eyes again and looks at his partner with a huge grin "Now I'm even more addicted to you, Love!"

"Wha-Umpfh!" Robbie's question is silenced by Sportacus pulling him down and into another, even deeper and more passionate kiss.

The next moment the felf wonders whether Sportscandy has a similar effect on him as candy has on Sportacus because he suddenly feels tipsy as well and even a little drowsy and he instinctively deepens the kiss even more and loses himself in the feeling of Sportacus so close to him.

When they finally part again they're both panting heavily and staring at each other.

Sportacus is roaming the felf's back and neck with his hands, unable to let go or look away from his love.

Finally Robbie smirks and tenderly strokes along his husband's chest "Honey, I don't care what time it is. We're officially married now. And I won't wait another second for our wedding night!…"


	167. Epilog!

_Legends says that if two opposites collide there will be chaos._

_There will be night as bright as day and day as dark as night._

_There will be good doing evil and evil doing good._

_There will be lovers that hate and haters that love._

 

_There will be Burning Ice and Freezing Fire…_

 

 

 

**_But most of all there will be the beginning of something New!_ **


End file.
